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IN PROGRESS: The Dynamo House (Heritage Harbor)

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Nolli Unincorporated Area

Nolli

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if anything, i think that this area should be called the jewelry district, which holds great historic significance with providence having been the costume jewelry capital of the world. on the map it looks like a 7 x 10 block area [+ or - 1000 square yards from looking on the map]. keep it all as one!

I absolutely agree, and love the name Jewelry District. It's very specific to Providence. Considering Dynamo House/HH/Davol Square/Prov Point/Old Harbor part of the JD also resists the tendency to atomize the city. The Jewelry District boundaries, especially without 195, are discrete and understandable. Once the highway and exit ramp is gone, let's hope Dorrance/Eddy can go back to 2-way traffic and not be a dividing force between the current JD and the waterfront there.

The name and physical fabric of the JD is also very Ben Katchor (http://www.katchor.com), and if there's not a UP thread already dedicated to this guy, there should be...

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quente Whistle-Stop

quente

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I heard through the grapevine that this project is in limbo. Evidently, they weren't able to get the federal rehab tax credits because they needed to add floors within the cavernous motor room. In spite of the support of the RI State Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission, the National Park Service disagreed and rejected the use of tax credits for the current proposal.

Hopefully, they'll be able to rework their proposal. It's a great project and I'd hate to see them walk.

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Frankie811 City

Frankie811

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I heard through the grapevine that this project is in limbo. Evidently, they weren't able to get the federal rehab tax credits because they needed to add floors within the cavernous motor room. In spite of the support of the RI State Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission, the National Park Service disagreed and rejected the use of tax credits for the current proposal.

Hopefully, they'll be able to rework their proposal. It's a great project and I'd hate to see them walk.

Terrible news. Yet another set back. :(

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gregw Hamlet

gregw

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I heard through the grapevine that this project is in limbo. Evidently, they weren't able to get the federal rehab tax credits because they needed to add floors within the cavernous motor room. In spite of the support of the RI State Historic Preservation & Heritage Commission, the National Park Service disagreed and rejected the use of tax credits for the current proposal.

Hopefully, they'll be able to rework their proposal. It's a great project and I'd hate to see them walk.

What awful news. I don't know what the Park Service expects, that they should keep it as one vast open space? How can that be commercially viable?

If they signed off on the Masonic Temple, they really should sign off on this project as well. :angry:

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quente Whistle-Stop

quente

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It sounds like the Dynamo House is moving forward!

Article in today's Providence Journal: A Bright Beginning.

According to the article, Struever got zoning variances for the project last week and they're hoping to begin work this spring and finish the project in 2 years. It sounds like they've resolved the tax credit issue; the article mentioned that they'd be qualifying for $50 million in state and federal tax credits.

I'll be relieved when the work finally does gets underway. The 6 lit smokestacks are going to look awesome.

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Garris Town

Garris

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It sounds like the Dynamo House is moving forward!

Article in today's Providence Journal: A Bright Beginning.

I'll be relieved when the work finally does gets underway. The 6 lit smokestacks are going to look awesome.

Whew! I was starting to get really worried about this one. Less because of the loss of that particular project (although losing yet another incarnation of the Heritage Harbor Museum would be a blow to building a "Big Three" tourism package for the city) than because of the loss of what I think this project could do to jump start the Jewelry District (along with Brown's big move there literally across the street).

Thanks for the link! :thumbsup:

- Garris

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dgreco City

dgreco

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Whew! I was starting to get really worried about this one. Less because of the loss of that particular project (although losing yet another incarnation of the Heritage Harbor Museum would be a blow to building a "Big Three" tourism package for the city) than because of the loss of what I think this project could do to jump start the Jewelry District (along with Brown's big move there literally across the street).

Thanks for the link! :thumbsup:

- Garris

maybe browns move across the street revived this project?

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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The whole stack thing is a little weird to me. Don't get me wrong, I like it, and look forward to the finished product. But I don't really see them needing to be restored to make for a proper restoration of the building. It would certainly be fine without them. They aren't recreating them as they were, so why the breathlessness about the restoration? It all seems like a lot of money for something that isn't really necessary, which at least gives me hope about the solvency of the project, if they have money to burn on decorative smokestacks... But then also, if they have money to burn, why are we giving out tax credits?

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quente Whistle-Stop

quente

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The whole stack thing is a little weird to me. Don't get me wrong, I like it, and look forward to the finished product. But I don't really see them needing to be restored to make for a proper restoration of the building. It would certainly be fine without them. They aren't recreating them as they were, so why the breathlessness about the restoration? It all seems like a lot of money for something that isn't really necessary, which at least gives me hope about the solvency of the project, if they have money to burn on decorative smokestacks... But then also, if they have money to burn, why are we giving out tax credits?

The stacks serve the same purpose as those big honkin' flags that fly over car dealerships - they draw attention. Just as the flag over the car dealership has little to do with patriotism, the stacks have little to do with restoring the building.

The stacks will serve as signposts for the Dynamo House sign and as multicolored towers that draw attention to the building. If they were actually restoring the stacks, they'd put up all 9 in there original configuration instead of just putting up 6. Clearly, the "restoration" argument helps them obtain the variances that were just granted which in turn will allow them to place their signage about 150 feet in the air and "restore" 6 dramatically lit towers that are almost 200 feet high and will be seen for miles. Clever strategy.

As for the tax credits, in this case, I'm all for it. It's returning a difficult to use historic building, which as Garris points out, has the potential of acting as a catalyst for additional projects in the Jewelry District.

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Lone Ranger Burg

Lone Ranger

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It sounds like they've resolved the tax credit issue; the article mentioned that they'd be qualifying for $50 million in state and federal tax credits.

I thought they were having trouble getting federal money because of their plan to compartmentalize the interior of the building. Is that issue resolved as well?

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mental757 Burg

mental757

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from the projo article:

"The stacks themselves will be 191.4 feet off the ground, and 128 feet off the roof. "

maybe they were 300 feet originally and they got scaled down to meet the high restrictions (and variances they did get).

Or maybe the originally buolt stacks used to be close to 300 feet???

Not sure either way, but being right on the water, they will sure add a neat touch to the skyline and add some color to an otherwise bland night-lighting theme for the city in general.

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Liamlunchtray Burg

Liamlunchtray

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The whole stack thing is a little weird to me. Don't get me wrong, I like it, and look forward to the finished product. But I don't really see them needing to be restored to make for a proper restoration of the building.

I think they will look great, but it does seem like a bit of overkill. Alternately, over at Puente it kind of drives be nuts that they didnt restore the stack there. Its cut off at about 1/2 its original height and it just looks weird and stumpy. The preportions are all wrong.

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Garris Town

Garris

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i love the fact that the stacks change color :)

I do too.

Count me in as a fan of the idea of the stacks, and them changing color. It might be considered a little precious if the museum wasn't going to be there, but with such a signature attraction present, I think it'll be almost a necessity, bringing a huge amount of attention to Heritage Harbor and the entire complex. Can't you see one day telling a vistor to the city, "Oh, the museum is easy to get to. Find the stacks, get off the highway, and head right towards them."

It also, with the neighboring and much taller power plant stacks, will almost serve as a "second skyline" for the city.

In fact, I can one day imagine the "Skyline of Stacks" becoming somewhat iconic for the city... The current three stacks almost are such already.

- Garris

PS: For a city our size and with our skyline, I think Providence's night lighting is far from dull or bland. Quite the opposite! The Superman is almost glowing, you have the necklace on Hospital Trust, there's the Biltmore's sign, the Westin (and soon Westin II's) baroque gable lighting, and the Capitol. Union Station is lit, hopefully Waterplace and 110 will have a lighting scheme, GTech will have their sign and tower... In fact, I think the Textron Building (they never answered my e-mails!!) is the only one without lighting!

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