IN PROGRESS: 333 Atwells Avenue (Rialto Furniture)

[Cotuit]

Has anyone seen what it is going to look like now?

There's an ad in this months ProMo with a small rendering.

[eltron]

Yet more horrible reporting by the Projo:

"Neighbors who were critical of the size of the first design might be relieved by the new design, which attempts to mimic the "tenement home" architecture of the surrounding neighborhood, according to the development team."

There was no opposition at all to this building in its original, MIDRISE configuration, mostly because it was a really great, appropriate design. Sloppy. People were pissed about Belmont Castello for a reason. Those reasons did not extend to the Rialto proposal, as the article would suggest.

[Garris]

Yet more horrible reporting by the Projo:

Yup, I noted that too... That's the kind of editorialized "reporting" I expect from an outlet like the BBC, not what is supposed to be a good American newspaper...

Also, we had a ProMo sitting around the waiting area here, and I found the small render. It's hard to tell (it's more impressionistic than anything else), but it doesn't appear bad. It's certainly very conservative and traditional now, 3 floors I think, much less modern than the original render. I'm sure David Brussat will love it. The materials will probably make or break a design like this...

- Garris

PS: There's also an ad there on page 13, I think, for something called "600 North Broadway, The Causeway." The photo and description seem to match East Side Commons, though. A mistake?

[Cotuit]

PS: There's also an ad there on page 13, I think, for something called "600 North Broadway, The Causeway." The photo and description seem to match East Side Commons, though. A mistake?

That's in EP. They're advertising themselves as "minutes from Wayland Square."

map

I actually love that this area is being built out. Put a bikepath over the Henderson Bridge and build a good New Urbanist neighbourhood there I say. Make the approaches less highway, more boulevard and extend it through the old Route 44 right-of-way to Wampanoag Plaza.

[Garris]

That's in EP. They're advertising themselves as "minutes from Wayland Square."

map

I actually love that this area is being built out. Put a bikepath over the Henderson Bridge and build a good New Urbanist neighbourhood there I say. Make the approaches less highway, more boulevard and extend it through the old Route 44 right-of-way to Wampanoag Plaza.

Oh, how stupid of me... Wrong town! I know exactly what this development is now. It actually looks quite nice (and quite simliar to East Side Commons, in fact), and is actually only 2-3 minutes drive from Wayland Square.

I keep saying that if Providence continues to do well, then East Providence (especially near the East Side) is primed to boom. Taunton Ave is potentially a great urban space, there's a full slate of services, great restaurants, great parks, and some genuinely nice neighborhoods (I'm thinking of Riverside and Rumford especially). The retail areas of those later two neighborhoods are fairly dreary and depressed strip plazas, unfortunately...

- Garris

[damus]

I keep saying that if Providence continues to do well, then East Providence (especially near the East Side) is primed to boom. Taunton Ave is potentially a great urban space, there's a full slate of services, great restaurants, great parks, and some genuinely nice neighborhoods (I'm thinking of Riverside and Rumford especially). The retail areas of those later two neighborhoods are fairly dreary and depressed strip plazas, unfortunately...

- Garris

I'm warming up to the idea of a streetcar line the more I hear about it. EP's Renaissance would obviously get an enourmous boost if it was included in a streetcar/lightrail system with Providence.

I go against a lot of people here when it comes to Federal Hill, but right now it is a dump outside of Atwells. The area where Belmont Castello and 333 Atwells are isn't even that great; the real activity is between Mediteraneo and a little past America Street. I think these projects, along with two other Atwells projects that come to mind, could have made the street even more of an urban area/destination than it is now if they didn't price out the establishments already there.

The dumpy parts of the Hill are being fixed up aesthetically mostly only from the inside. Maybe with Atwells being even more of a destination/neighborhood hub than it is now people other than mostly college students who don't care about the area would be starting to move into some of the updated apartments near Atwells...

[Garris]

In a perfect, Sim City type of world, it would be great if someone could clear out one or two blocks behind some of the retail and put a large parking structure between Atwells and Broadway (preferably directly behind the Atwell's retail) and have that be a central parking structure with rentable spots for residents of certain developments. It would solve some huge problems for that area...

But while I'm in fantasy land, I'd like a Ferrari too...

- Garris

[Cotuit]

The sales office for 333 Atwells had renderings on display on the sidewalk last night during the Federal Hill stroll.

[Garris]

The sales office for 333 Atwells had renderings on display on the sidewalk last night during the Federal Hill stroll.

The same render as in the ProMo, or a new one? If new, how did it look?

- Garris

[MikeR]

I keep saying that if Providence continues to do well, then East Providence (especially near the East Side) is primed to boom. - Garris

Garris - you must be some kind of prophet! Today's ProJo has a story on a propesed development in East providence on the Seekonk River...

http://www.projo.com/eastbayandmass/conten...o15.2c1e98.html

This the former Ocean State Steel property...right across from River Road in Providence.

[eltron]

The same render as in the ProMo, or a new one? If new, how did it look?

- Garris

I didn't see the render the Monthly, but this looked alright. Its not even remotely as good as the original. The brick is mostly gone, with clapboards on the upper floors. There are still balconies, but they are now trellised with green. Its pretty nice actually, but more traditional, less contemporary, than the initial proposal, which is kinda a shame.

I'm still impressed with Lerner + Ladd though...they obviously do really nice work.

[jencoleslaw]

The sales office for 333 Atwells had renderings on display on the sidewalk last night during the Federal Hill stroll.

i received an email from the real estate guy saying that units are officially for sale!

[damus]

i received an email from the real estate guy saying that units are officially for sale!

sounds like they went on sale at the same time they decided it was a "go" and put it out to bid as a 6 and 8 story set of buildings...

are there any renderings that could be posted here?

[Cotuit]

I took these through the window of the sales office:

[Garris]

Great work as usual Cotuit!

Very nice. Not as visionary as the original, but if we all never saw the original, we'd be roundly praising this.

This is going to be one looooong building! I have to say I like it quite a bit from all angles.

The "Retail A" space is enormous, looking like it is the size of the old Rialto furniture space. Any idea what will go there? It's too big to be the pharmacy alone, which I assume is going into the "Retail B" space.

- Garris

PS: Any idea on a timetable on this one?

[jencoleslaw]

i loved the wacky brick pergolas with the viney (grape?) things. It reminded me very much of another favorite center of a town--Knightsville where Park Avenue and Cranston Street meet.

[damus]

Looks to me like underground parking??? I thought that was nixed...

It definately fits into the scale of the neighborhood more now, though. I was kinda excited to see Atwells become more urban than it is...

I thought it was mentioned that Walgreens would be a potential tenant for the "A" space? Or was that just wishful thinking? I dont think it's too big for a Walgreen's. There's a Walgreen's in Norwich, CT complete with drive through pharmacy that's as big as a supermarket.

[Cotuit]

Looks to me like underground parking??? I thought that was nixed...

Me too, but both renderings are dated April 27, 2006.

Notice the Atwells Elevation at the bottom of the first photo. Is that surface parking on the right?

[Garris]

Notice the Atwells Elevation at the bottom of the first photo. Is that surface parking on the right?

Good question... I assumed it was a street for some reason, but it probably is surface parking...

I'm confused, though... Why is the South Elevation so much wider than the North elevation? Is that actually an entrace to surface parking that will be located more in the back of the building than the front?

- Garris

[damus]

Me too, but both renderings are dated April 27, 2006.

Notice the Atwells Elevation at the bottom of the first photo. Is that surface parking on the right?

Yep...

I looked at the underground parking area again and it clearly says "residential parking". Oh well..

[Cotuit]

I'm confused

Me too, here's the site, but I'm not sure that helps at all:

[damus]

I think the photo isn't giving the right sense of scale. That block is much bigger than what the building appears to be

[Garris]

Me too, here's the site, but I'm not sure that helps at all:

It totally helps, actually...

That's going to be one big a** surface parking area! They're trying to pull a Hope Village/Summit CVS trick and try to lessen the impact of the surface parking on the street by putting their brick gateway/border to the sidewalk. It really doesn't work that well there, and similarly won't unite the streetscape here... Too bad. My enthusiasm for this just dropped a notch.

The reason the building is wider in the South elevation than in the North is because that's how the current building is situated as well. They're going to build the linear length of Rialto to the sidewalk and leave that little piece jutting out to the East. The space South of that piece jutting out becomes the wacky brick pergola vined entrace that Jen discusses.

. Mixxed feelings...

- Garris

[jencoleslaw]

yeah, i was bummed when all that surface parking turned up too. this project got the big thumbs up from cpc and even supported some extra height mostly because of the parking. They went down a story or two and nixed the parking component.

btw, the proposed retail tenent for that spot (and by Proposed i mean nothing is certain) is Walgreens, thus proving my point that walgreens can, in fact, have an urban storefront, contrary to the developers p*ssing and moaning up on North Main St.

[Cotuit]

btw, the proposed retail tenent for that spot (and by Proposed i mean nothing is certain) is Walgreens, thus proving my point that walgreens can, in fact, have an urban storefront, contrary to the developers p*ssing and moaning up on North Main St.

I haven't heard what ever came of the North Main Walgreens, but I understand the city was pointing to 333 Atwells, and saying, 'look, see, you can do it, it's not hard...' There's also some concept store in the Midwest I guess that Walgreens wishes they never opened because every municipality says that's the one they want.