COMPLETE: RISD 15West

[AriPVD]

Haha good to know there's a fellow Cornellian here! Yea, Ithaca is an interesting town, and not unlike a mini Providence except for one thing...it's SO isolated! It's definitely not easy to escape. Also, congrats mikepl! I think I'm going to be living in the Peerless as well.

[provid]

Oh really? thats neat. I picked out my unit the other day ( facing right onto westminseter.) It looks like that building will be alot of fun. Let me know if you plan to move in forsure. It would be nice to meet someone else in the building.

[AriPVD]

It's either going to be in the Peerless or the Wilkinson...depends what's available when I start work. I worked on the Peerless development all summer and I assure you it's going to be a GREAT place to live. Historically and architecturally it's such a cool cool building and the rehab is truly second to none.

[provid]

I'm glad to hear. I only know the details of it from the outside looking in but it seems everything will be a very nice and roof access is an added extra.

[Cotuit]

RISD construction projects awarded

03/08/2005

Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction, a national construction management firm with offices in Providence, was recently awarded two construction projects at the Rhode Island School of Design. Both projects are part of the series of renovations that will transform the Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building, at 15 Westminster St. and originally built in 1917, into a new living and learning center for RISD.

The Caf

[Soren]

If these were condos, I'd be buying. Best views in the city!

[provid]

They have a great spot with tons of sun.

If these were condos, I'd be buying.  Best views in the city!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Cotuit]

If these were condos, I'd be buying.  Best views in the city!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There's a housing lottery at RISD to get these rooms. Currently, there's no plans for the 12th floor. It was to be a dining hall (can you imagine!?), but there are engineering issues that nixed that, one being that only one lift goes all the way to 12 (why, I don't know). Perhaps we could set up a squat on the 12th floor.

[Cotuit]

They have a great spot with tons of sun.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Indeed, many of the rooms have excellent light, perfect for artists, their will be work space in the building for the residents as well. Some rooms do face inward though. The rooms facing Capital Centre have great North Light.

Just the fact that this vacant 12 story building will now be lit with the lights of residents will be a huge boost for downtown.

[Soren]

Just the fact that this vacant 12 story building will now be lit with the lights of residents will be a huge boost for downtown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think long-standing vacant buildings are not going to be much of a worry for the future in Providence. Yeah, I'm getting a little bullish.

[Cotuit]

I heard a rumour that J&W was looking to buy the Mirabar (which is a gay bar on Richmond street next to PPAC). The building is a historic structure sitting in a parking lot with lots of J&W buildings nearby (it's in that whole club zone near Ultra and all the clubs I'm too old to know the names of). I haven't been there in a while, but I rode by it the other day and was shocked to see that the facade had been completely renovated. I don't know if J&W did it or what, but when the bars start randomly updating their facades, you know good things are afoot in your city.

And J&W wanting to buy a structure that sits in an otherwise vacant lot, is a good sign that we could be seeing more filling in of our vacant lots.

[provid]

Im not really sure where Mirabar but I seems its on or near Pine Street? This building does not right a bell but I'll keep an eye out.

[Cotuit]

It's Richmond and Pine, but it's not right on the corner. There is a strip of clubs on the southside of Pine, then a parking lot across the street. Mirabar sits in that parking lot. A lone remnant of that area's former glory.

[ArtInRuins]

Hey Contuit,

Think I can get some of those interior photos of the Hospital Trust building for use on ArtInRuins? I've been meaning to get that property on my site... While I am at it, you did a great job with the list of all the new development projects in the city. i have a lot to add to AIR in the next few weeks!

j

[pdxstreetcar]

Here's some of the better pictures I took when I got a tour in January 2004, unfortunately it was dusk and I didnt have my tripod. I certainly wish I did have it because the view is great...

The RISD campus:

The Capital Center & Mall:

Empty room on top floor:

Train to New York All Aboard!!! Actually this is the first floor banking hall and future RISD library, unfortunately the plan is to ruin this great room with a stupid large tiered seating deck in the middle of the room and a check-out desk with a big roof over it, seems the architect is a little too eager to leave their mark on this room:

Brass elevator to basement and customer savings boxes:

[pdxstreetcar]

Links:

See page 3 of the winter edition of "risdviews" newsletter (has renderings of the pointless tiered seating deck and large covered circulation desk:

http://www.risd.edu/pdf/views/Views_Winter2005.pdf

http://www.risd.edu/campus_initiatives_library.htm

[provid]

Nice pictures. Those top floor rooms look like they were in rough shape.

[Cotuit]

Think I can get some of those interior photos of the Hospital Trust building for use on ArtInRuins?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Let me know which ones you are interested in. I compressed the hell out of those to conserve space online and have the originals on my computer.

While I am at it, you did a great job with the list of all the new development projects in the city.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks. Of course I finished all that work about two weeks before all these projects fell oout of the sky.

See page 3 of the winter edition of "risdviews" newsletter (has renderings of the pointless tiered seating deck and large covered circulation desk:

http://www.risd.edu/pdf/views/Views_Winter2005.pdf

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have that copy of RISD Views sitting on my coffee table and haven't looked at it yet, I didn't even know that was in there.

There is some stuff that was done previously that hurt the building. RISD really wanted to restore the floor. In your fourth pic you can see a stone floor and a raised carpeted level. That carpeted level was put in to run power through the floor to desks when the space was turned more over to cubicles. The step is solid concrete. A lot of stuff will be saved, but it will be radically different.

[kinematix]

Found a few things on the new RISD building at 15 Westminster:

Color floorplan on the top residential floors (10 &11)

http://intranet.risd.edu/pdfs/011_coloredplan.pdf

General overview of the housing availible in the building

http://intranet.risd.edu/pdfs/15%20West%20...out%2011305.pdf

Sadly only for RISD students, the housing costs for the double lofts (unit 1131 for example) will be about 1400 (or 700 per person) a month including all utilities which is unreal for a brand new place with a priceless view.

[CtownMikey]

lol.. I go to mirabar. Any construction you might see is the renovation of their 3rd floor into more club spaces b/c it is soo overly crowded on many days and definately a fire code violation. Right now there are only 2 floors.. and the 3rd will be a bar/lounge/ and dance floor with a seperate DJ.. im so excited to see how the clubs react and expand to the upcoming changes in providence. But I doubt it will be bought out by JWU, its the best gay club to go to and I'm sure makes oodles of $$... unless they wan to relocate to pine street and make pine street the place to be

[Cotuit]

lol.. I go to mirabar. Any construction you might see is the renovation of their 3rd floor into more club spaces b/c it is soo overly crowded on many days and definately a fire code violation.  Right now there are only 2 floors.. and the 3rd will be a bar/lounge/ and dance floor with a seperate DJ.. im so excited to see how the clubs react and expand to the upcoming changes in providence. But I doubt it will be bought out by JWU, its the best gay club to go to and I'm sure makes oodles of $$... unless they wan to relocate to pine street and make pine street the place to be

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I didn't even realize that building had a third floor. Johnson & Wales may just want to expand their holdings for the future. RISD owns a bunch of real estate along South Main that it doesn't use for school purposes.

On the 15 West front. RISD has expressed concerns to the city about pedestrian crossing at Memorial and College, and the city is looking into improvements at that intersection.

[Mike D]

That picture of the banking hall is really beautiful - I really hope they don't ruin that.

[pdxstreetcar]

That has got to be one of the worst intersections in the city, I cant believe that street was rebuilt only 10 years ago and built so poorly. For starters they could at least have the cross signals work, is it me or do very few crosswalk signals actually work in PVD?

They will need to give more priorty to pedestrians at that intersection than currently. People now just start walking across Memorial against the light because after 3 minutes they are sick of waiting to cross. I would put in curb extensions and widen the sidewalks along Memorial which are really narrow now (and there is a pointless concrete island in the middle of the street which could be removed to allow the lanes shift over creating space for wider sidewalks). I'd also slow down the traffic on all of Memorial.

[Cotuit]

I think an island should be added to Memorial between College and the Crawford Bridge, allowing pedestrians a safety zone when they cross when they aren't supposed to. Memorial between College and Crawford is also way to f'ing wide, narrow it. If it were narrower, traffic wouldn't feel like it could move so fast. The lane markings and crosswalks need to be repainted (I've seen aerials of just after that area was rebuilt, there were very clear lane markings everywhere, all are now gone).

The area needs better lighting. They should also consider an all red phase, wherein all traffic would get a red light, and all the walk signals would go to "walk."

And yes, finding a working walk signal in this city is like hitting the lottery. Hell even finding an actual walk signal, working or not is miraculous, there are places all over the city where there are holes in the ground with wires coming out that are supposed to be walk signals.

[Cotuit]

RISD video about new RISD Library.