PROPOSED: Grant's Block

[mental757]

pardon my ignorance, but can someone seperate Grant's Block from the Power Block for me???

sorry...

[Cotuit]

pardon my ignorance, but can someone seperate Grant's Block from the Power Block for me???

Power Block is LaSalle Square, and the area from the Westin to the Dunk and the Holiday Inn.

Grant's Block (which Ari mentioned a while back will probably see a name change) is on Westminster next to Tazza and Weybosset across from Johnson & Wales.

[mental757]

so is Grant's Block kinda near the Sierra Suites site? I'm terrible with the street names except around the State House...

[basachs]

so is Grant's Block kinda near the Sierra Suites site? I'm terrible with the street names except around the State House...

Yep, it is kinda near Sierra. Sierra is on Washington Street, extending west onto Fountain (Next to Sportsmen's Inn).

Grant's Block is one street east from Washington, on Westminster. This extends east onto the next street, Weybosset.

[mental757]

Yep, it is kinda near Sierra. Sierra is on Washington Street, extending west onto Fountain (Next to Sportsmen's Inn).

Grant's Block is one street east from Washington, on Westminster. This extends east onto the next street, Weybosset.

OK great - I have it in better perspective now. I know landmarks very well - just not the streets so much. The 'new' JWU dorm, Spikes Dogs, the Complex, Hell (used to be Babyhead??) Reeses' Pub, the old Atomic Grille (for get what is there now), Dorrance street, PPAC, - the garage across from PPAC, (what was??) Mama's Metro Cafe, etc.

As you can see - I know where all those places are/were but was likely too drunk at the time to know what street they were on.

This is how I relate: Sierra is just up from the complex and across from the garage which is across from PPAC (right?) which is next to the JWU dorm...

[Liamlunchtray]

This is how I relate: Sierra is just up from the complex and across from the garage which is across from PPAC (right?) which is next to the JWU dorm...

You're a few blocks off. The area you are describing is Weybossett - The Sierra site is on Washington. Basically if you took the area you described and went straight back 2 blocks closer to the Civic Center you would be pretty much on target. Do you remember the downcity McDonalds (across from the Civic Center/Convention center)? That building is part of the Sierra site.

[Cotuit]

This is how I relate: Sierra is just up from the complex and across from the garage which is across from PPAC (right?) which is next to the JWU dorm...

Sierra is next to the Sportsman's Inn and down the block from Trinity Brewhouse.

[mental757]

You're a few blocks off. The area you are describing is Weybossett - The Sierra site is on Washington. Basically if you took the area you described and went straight back 2 blocks closer to the Civic Center you would be pretty much on target. Do you remember the downcity McDonalds (across from the Civic Center/Convention center)? That building is part of the Sierra site.

Yes, yes, I know where the Mcdonalds was - I totally have it now - it's much closer to the C-center and Dunk than I thought.

"Sierra is next to the Sportsman's Inn and down the block from Trinity Brewhouse."

Trinity - yup I have it now.

Last one (for today): the Fogarty building is also close to the Sierra site (near the Journal building??).

New unofficial rule (for me only): please reference the closest place to get alcoholic beverages when describing locations in the city since thats all I seem to remember...

[basachs]

Last one (for today): the Fogarty building is also close to the Sierra site (near the Journal building??).

Yes, the Fogarty is across the street from the Sierra site, the old Mcdonald's portion of it anyway.

[Jerry2]

Grant's Block is in exactly where Mama's Metro, Dunkin Donuts, Travelers Aid and Continental's was. It is the entire city block.

[mental757]

Grant's Block is in exactly where Mama's Metro, Dunkin Donuts, Travelers Aid and Continental's was. It is the entire city block.

OK - thanks again - sorry for being so clueless - or as I mentined earlier - a typical intoxicated college student unaware of his surroundings at the time.

[prudence]

Anything new on this site?

The Mass folder has a post about a big project in Lowell that Cornish is proposing to do, hopefully it won't slow this one down!

[Baines]

I should have news on this soon. We are close.

I suspect it is too late but as you know we all hope that the final design is tall...adding a western connection with the financial district for other tall buildings filling in.

I was concerned with the recent PBN insert article that indicated a two tower design...presumably making them both mid-rise instead of a single tall tower.

[Frankie811]

Here's some SHOCKING news concerning Grant's Block. I guess Ari decided to keep us in the dark on this one. Very dissappointing all the way around.

http://www.projo.com/opinion/editorials/co...ff.321232f.html

[jencoleslaw]

indeed. certainly would prefer a lovely greenspace if what is going up is going to be temporary crap left to be permanent crap...

[mr2448]

Here's some SHOCKING news concerning Grant's Block. I guess Ari decided to keep us in the dark on this one. Very dissappointing all the way around.

http://www.projo.com/opinion/editorials/co...ff.321232f.html

Mr. Chace has done quite a few good things down city, but this defines him as the ordinary contractor. Let's pull it down before we are sure something will go up!!! The finances should have been approved before demolition and thus the plans wouldn't need to be down sized ( I hope the Empire Street project doesn't fall to this same fate!).

I agree with Jen. I would prefer "Green Space" rather than a parking lot. We've made do without the extra parking all this time, let's not "Put up a parking lot".

Mark

[Jerry2]

"Until the downsized project can go forward, Cornish plans to place shallow prefabricated liner buildings on the site, presumably with a parking lot in the middle"

What does this mean? Is this like manufactured housing? I can say that I saw this coming months ago as the construction costs have soared and feel the same way @ the Empire at Broadway site. Leave it alone until construction financing is firm and secure. We won't mention the other culprit down the road @ Westminster and Weybosset so as not to excite my cynical RI opinions......but something should have been made public by now about the plans for this site. There has got to be some major issues with this project going forward or else a render of some sort would have been on the books. I hope someone could elaborate ( Ari?) on what exactly is this thing that is being proposed now and if there are real issues with the financing. I do know that downtown Providence seems like an empty wasteland with the loss of this entire city block coupled with the Downcity Diner block...... and the future demolition of the Public Safety Complex....from an aesthetic view. I would have rather left those buildings with their tax-paying businesses ( albeit sketchy) than have what's there now. The safety complex could be temporary space for the artists being displaced by American Locomotive . And as far as greenspace for this spot is concerned..I found that to be completely ridiculous. This area should reflect a cityscape in one of the densest cities in the country and encouage walkability. Trees on street level are OK but no new parks need to built in this city until we can effectively manage the one we already have.

[AriPVD]

The entire article is factually incorrect. Grant's Block has never, ever sought construction financing. Grant's Block is to contain a public garage, and the city has yet to develop a public parking program. There are no firm plans yet for any temporary uses on the site. Additionally, an abandoned building is a liability to an owner, which is why there is a rush to take them down. At this time, in addition to Grant's Block, we are pursuing several other developments in the Downcity area that I hope to expound on soon.

[Lone Ranger]

The entire article is factually incorrect. Grant's Block has never, ever sought construction financing. Grant's Block is to contain a public garage, and the city has yet to develop a public parking program. There are no firm plans yet for any temporary uses on the site. Additionally, an abandoned building is a liability to an owner, which is why there is a rush to take them down. At this time, in addition to Grant's Block, we are pursuing several other developments in the Downcity area that I hope to expound on soon.

You say, "There are no firm plans yet for any temporary uses on the site." What can we make of that? Can you tell us anything further, or are we simply going to have to wonder whether there were -- to put it gently -- certain elements of truth to the ProJo article in question?

Yes, we understand that there are limitations to the information you can give us. Still, somebody has to ask.

[AriPVD]

Temporary uses could include temporary retail liner buildings, an art market, and a park, among others. The ProJo article was written with no inside knowledge and without contacting anyone at Cornish. It is totally speculation. We would not have acquired the site at the price we paid if we did not have plans to develop something other than surface parking.

[Liamlunchtray]

You say, "There are no firm plans yet for any temporary uses on the site." What can we make of that? Can you tell us anything further, or are we simply going to have to wonder whether there were -- to put it gently -- certain elements of truth to the ProJo article in question?

Man, it's not very encouraging when its been this long and they dont even have a firm plan for a temporary use. Eeek! At this pace we'll be 10 years in before we see the first render. I am really not a fan of the whole tear it down and figure it out later concept.

[Lone Ranger]

Temporary uses could include temporary retail liner buildings, an art market, and a park, among others. The ProJo article was written with no inside knowledge and without contacting anyone at Cornish. It is totally speculation. We would not have acquired the site at the price we paid if we did not have plans to develop something other than surface parking.

Thanks. Again, with that last question, very sorry to sound like I'm grilling you.

Man, it's not very encouraging when its been this long and they dont even have a firm plan for a temporary use. Eeek! At this pace we'll be 10 years in before we see the first render. I am really not a fan of the whole tear it down and figure it out later concept.

Well, yeah. That was kinda the point. But as far as abandoned buildings go, I think Ari explained reasonably enough why companies wouldn't want them sitting around, derelict.

[gregw]

Cornish has done such positive things on Westminster that I feel reassured that the Travelers Aid block will be put to a good use when it is feasible. If Paolino owned it, I would be concerned.

I personally have no problem with the buildings being taken down (and I consider myself a pretty ardent preservationist). The buildings were not worth saving IMHO and it makes little sense to keep them standing until redevelopment plans are clear. The only reason to keep them standing is if reusing them is an option. My .02.

Greg

[jencoleslaw]

my beef with the argument that no one likes an empty building is that all too often the developers are the ones who make the liability, but emptying the building. Not saying that's what cornish did but certainly it is a tactic that has been used more than once around here. that and the old chestnut that the building came down because no one was interested in buying and rehabbing, which is usually total b*llsh*t. Some examples:

AAA Surgical on Atwells, the Fruit Hill Ave School, The Trolley Barn, etc.

and Jerry, just because a green space exists doesn't mean the parks department has to maintain it. We can have a nice green space downtown that cornish maintains until such a time that a development happens on that site.

[Frankie811]

Looks like the city went through a lot of planning to develop Weybosset St into a two way street for nothing.