PROPOSED: OneEleven Fountain (Fogarty Bldg.)

[pdxstreetcar]

why & when did health & human services move out of that building?

gotta love how over the years they replaced some of the single pane windows with any windows they could find including multi-pane windows. i dont think any of the windows match.

[Frankie811]

why & when did health & human services move out of that building?

gotta love how over the years they replaced some of the single pane windows with any windows they could find including multi-pane windows. i dont think any of the windows match.

Human services moved out about 5 yrs ago. It was used for school space for several months. Human Services moved to 206 Elmwood Ave at the old Jake's car lot. Where have you been

[Cotuit]

gotta love how over the years they replaced some of the single pane windows with any windows they could find including multi-pane windows. i dont think any of the windows match.

They installed double-hung windows because the HVAC system didn't work right and they needed operable windows to get air into the building. Nice, huh?

[Frankie811]

They installed double-hung windows because the HVAC system didn't work right and they needed operable windows to get air into the building. Nice, huh?

I still don't understand why people consider this building to be "ugly". I actually like it. I think it's a nice modern building, besides the fact that it's not cared for.

[Cotuit]

I actually sometimes like brutalism (I like Boston City Hall for example). It's just never been pulled off correctly, at least not in this country, that I know of. I like the upper 2 levels of the Fogarty Building. It's the ground level that is the problem. It sits up on a pedestal seperating it from the street, and the way the ground level is recessed in makes the areas around the base feel cave like. If there were two floors recessed, so the arcades around the base were two stories tall, it would totally change the feel of the building. The building would also be much better if it were at least four stories taller. The height vs. the width of the building makes it feel very office-parkish.

I really think this building is too far gone, and I hope that Proc. doesn't go the renovation route. Knock it down, start over.

[Garris]

I actually sometimes like brutalism...

I do occasionally as well... The Fogarty Building, honestly, was never one of those I drove by and said to myself, "Man, that's gotta go." I actually dislike the bland, suburban style neighboring Blue Cross/Blue Shield building much more.

That said, knock it down and build something new...

- Garris

[Cotuit]

A sign on the Fogarty Building is advertsing Downtown Retail, Restaurant, Office Space "Coming Soon." The sign dubs the property OneEleven Fountain (so we have OneTen and OneEleven now).

[Frankie811]

A sign on the Fogarty Building is advertsing Downtown Retail, Restaurant, Office Space "Coming Soon." The sign dubs the property OneEleven Fountain (so we have OneTen and OneEleven now).

And don't forget the "903".

[Cotuit]

This article about Proc. Groups aquisition of the Old Public Safety Complex has some info about plans for the Fogarty.

Its new name is 111 Fountain Street.

Seges said the first floor of the building will be extended to the edge of the sidewalk and glassed in. Seges hopes to attract two or three tenants to occupy the first floor, including a restaurant and "convenience retail" for people who work and live in the area.

The other two floors will be converted into office space. Despite the heavy look of the concrete and limestone exterior, Seges said the windows create a bright interior and are perfect for offices.

The building needs to be gutted, but the structure is strong, he said. In fact, the building could support an additional three floors, and Procaccianti is studying whether adding more floors is viable.

I hope they expand up, the roof of the building has some HVAC equipment on it that is visible from the street and unsightly. They don't know if the facade will remain brutalist if they expand up, I hope it does. It could look pretty cool, especially with a good lighting scheme, and a good power wash.

[provid]

I think that facade looks terrible.....

[pdxstreetcar]

the rendering in the projo that went with this article showed the building exactly as it is now with just bigger storefront windows along the street, more signage and cleaned up a little...i'm a little disappointed

[Cotuit]

Can anyone get a scan?

[Cotuit]

MG Commerical Real Estate

OneEleven Fountain

[xine]

I actually sometimes like brutalism (I like Boston City Hall for example). It's just never been pulled off correctly, at least not in this country, that I know of.\

I like butalism too.. there are some great examples out there if you look hard. One of my favorites is IM Pei's SUNY Fredonia (NY) art building - kind of a preview of his work for the art building at Cornell. I think you have to lump in much of Kahn's work as well - hard to dispute the Exeter Library's claim to greatness after you've visited it.

I get nervous when I see widespread denunciation of a particular style. Witness the unpopularity of late victorian French mannerist styles in the decades after our most treasured examples were built - the Old Executive Building in DC was hated for decades as gaudy, now it's beloved. People hated the 1930's glass-paneled Art Deco storefronts in the 70's and blamed them for the downfall of small downtown retail streets, now they're popping up on Historic Registers and being lovingly restored.

I think there was a boldness to a lot of the 60's and 70's architecture that we're missing in mainstream architecture today. It may not be good, but at least they tried.

That having been said, I don't think the Fogarty building is worth saving for the ages; it is too fortess-like, which may have seemed to be an appropriate response to urban conditions back then, but things have changed. (And it's no Kahn building...) I just hope we don't tear everything from the 70's down because it's unfashionable.

[gregw]

I think you're expressing a healthy reevaluation of modern architecture that is starting to happen. And I agree: Brutalism can be beautiful! Another good example is Breuer's Pirelli Building in New Haven next to Ikea.

For me, I'm neutral on the Fogarty bldg. It's far less bad than the glitzy 80s Blue Cross bldg or the badly reclad Westminster St bldg or the Johnson and Wales Library which presents a totally characterless facade along Dorrance St.

I like butalism too.. there are some great examples out there if you look hard. One of my favorites is IM Pei's SUNY Fredonia (NY) art building - kind of a preview of his work for the art building at Cornell. I think you have to lump in much of Kahn's work as well - hard to dispute the Exeter Library's claim to greatness after you've visited it.

I get nervous when I see widespread denunciation of a particular style. Witness the unpopularity of late victorian French mannerist styles in the decades after our most treasured examples were built - the Old Executive Building in DC was hated for decades as gaudy, now it's beloved. People hated the 1930's glass-paneled Art Deco storefronts in the 70's and blamed them for the downfall of small downtown retail streets, now they're popping up on Historic Registers and being lovingly restored.

I think there was a boldness to a lot of the 60's and 70's architecture that we're missing in mainstream architecture today. It may not be good, but at least they tried.

That having been said, I don't think the Fogarty building is worth saving for the ages; it is too fortess-like, which may have seemed to be an appropriate response to urban conditions back then, but things have changed. (And it's no Kahn building...) I just hope we don't tear everything from the 70's down because it's unfashionable.

[Johnzo]

I would have liked to see a hotel on the site of the Fogarty. Having three hotels attached to the convention center/ Dunk complex would be very attractive to conventions. Hartford is poised to give us serious competition, so Providence needs to capitalize on it's opportuities.

I'm very interested in seeing TPG's plans for the building.

I'd like to see Blue Cross sell their building and a hotel go there. With a nice renovation (or demolition), that would be a great spot for a hotel, especially if it fronted on the reconfigured LaSalle Square.

[CtownMikey]

Well we have a Westin and a Hilton attatched to the CC. I don't think that is very appealing seeing as how they aren't exactly the cheapest hotels. I wish the Fogarty building WOULD be the 3rd installment, and would be a nice, clean, cheap Hotel. Not some Ritz Carlton or another botique hotel. Could you have a tower with hotel on the first 20 floors and condos on the next 20 floors (40 floors ! That way the condos could be priced high (mostly due to location, views, blah-di-dah) and those high prices could help pay for the construction costs of the entire building.. and in some way... it would make it feasible to have the hotel room at a cheap rate? The state could and should get involved... I see this building as an important step.. and state funding would help, if that is possible.

Anyways, isn't it already known that this isn't going to be made into a hotel?

[Johnzo]

Well we have a Westin and a Hilton attatched to the CC. I don't think thats very appealing seeing as how they aren't exactly the cheapest hotels. I wish the Fogarty building WOULD be the 3rd installment, and would be a nice, clean, cheap Hotel. Not some Ritz Carlton or another botique hotel.

Anyways, isn't it already known that this isn't going to be made into a hotel?

Yeah, the building's plans are known. I'm just dissappointed by them. I agree with you about not having a Ritz-Carlton or boutique hotel. We need variety.

[provid]

Any word if they still have plans to remove the existing building and build new or leave as is?

[damus]

Any word if they still have plans to remove the existing building and build new or leave as is?

from http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listi...pNet&PopupView=

Property Description:

A three story 40,000SF office building with a below grade parking lot, now under new ownership and undergoing a complete rehabilitation. Property to be redeveloped into two floors of Class A office with a first floor of high-end retail.

This is sad. I hate this building so much I'd almost rather see an overgrown grassy lot just so there would be a good chance of someone coming along and developing it some time down the road.

[Cotuit]

Last I heard, they wanted to glass in the first floor, and renovate the upper floors. They were weighing an option to add floors (up to 4 more I think?).

[Thom]

Last I heard, they wanted to glass in the first floor, and renovate the upper floors. They were weighing an option to add floors (up to 4 more I think?).

Project is going before the DRC at its next meeting. They are intending to cut out the wall on the 1st floor and put in glass. They have three restarants interested in the 1st floor and have a potential office tenant for the rest of the building. At this time they are doing minimal work. I've got to believe that they are looking long term and doing the least possible to preserve future possibilities.

[Cotuit]

I've got to believe that they are looking long term and doing the least possible to preserve future possibilities.

That's true, just because they lease it now doesn't mean they can't knock it down in 5 or 10 years. I think most of us would like to see it reduced to rubble now (though I have a perverse respect for it), but I'd rather see it tidied up and occupied than waiting around for the right time to knock it down and build bigger/better, which could be years.

[Baines]

That's true, just because they lease it now doesn't mean they can't knock it down in 5 or 10 years. I think most of us would like to see it reduced to rubble now (though I have a perverse respect for it), but I'd rather see it tidied up and occupied than waiting around for the right time to knock it down and build bigger/better, which could be years.

Well said.

It is in everyone's best interest to use the structure for what it can provide until time/location/events/economics offer an opportunity to build a real added value to the Convention Center area...a nice tall/lean corporate or hotel center.

[Cotuit]

This project will be reviewed at the Downcity Design Review Committee Meeting on May 8th.

111 Fountain Street