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Cotuit

By Cotuit
in Providence

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Patrick Ward Whistle-Stop

Patrick Ward

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Green/historical building in downtown with a geothermal thingamajig in the basement. Something about heating and cooling. Wow!

You know things are slow on UP when I'm the guy who has to post this story. Where the heck is everyone? Where is the UP X-mas party this year? Don't say my house.

http://www.projo.com/news/content/moran_sh...14.3d51cee.html

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09/21/38 Whistle-Stop

09/21/38

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I always thought that location would make sense for a hotel right across from the convention center. More sense than the smaller Fogarty Building. But nothing will happen until the economy straightens out. But they should have some potential buyers of the property and nearby parking lots.

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Lone Ranger Burg

Lone Ranger

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Dunno, but Belo wants to sell ProJo's HQ at the worst of possible times, with the US economy feeble, RI's economy reeling, and the HTC program (no pun intended) history. Not exactly a script for a success story in development (or redevelopment), don't you agree?

Well at least nobody will be able to complain that downtown lacks parking.

It's a shame, because I've been waiting years to find out that Belo wanted to shed that property.

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Pseudo_Work Hamlet

Pseudo_Work

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Debbie Downer shall be your new name.

By the same token, the previous deep recessions in RI are the only reason that we were left with so many amazing historic buildings in the first place. As the last few years have shown, good economic times are usually more troublesome for preservation, because those are the only times that new development can realistically be proposed. As a life long resident, I've seen more buildings come down since 2003 - the "good" years - than in all the other years of my life combined. Most of those came down for no reason whatsoever, and many of the same people who are crying bloody murder about them now were apologists at the time.

I view this more as an opportunity to take a step back and prepare the zoning changes, etc that we feel are necessary to put development on the right track once the economy improves. We'd be completely stupid to just let things continue the way that they were before the recession.

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Lone Ranger Burg

Lone Ranger

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Make it Donald Downer, at least, please.

And I can't say I'm embarrassed. I usually don't like to be that person, but it's not like there's much to be optimistic about here. The properties will sell: the price is too good to pass up. But new owner will want to develop the HQ site and will float fantastic images of a high-rise tower, which he/she won't be able to build right away because of the down economy. At first, he/she will claim to want to preserve the existing HQ building as part of the new development, but that plan will vaporize because of the additional money involved. The ProJo offices will move elsewhere, because the developer will want the building vacant to begin site work, but that work will never actually get underway (because that would require a real outlay of funds). The building will sit empty and become an eyesore, derelict. After a little while, the developer will claim that the building has become a safety hazard and push for demolition. People will kick and scream, but the mayor will mysteriously swoop in give his imprimatur to the demolition, and voila! a fantastic new surface parking lot right smack in the middle of the city -- ready for big development if the economy ever improves, but nonetheless lucrative in the meantime.

Just like the Old Public Safety Complex Surface Lot.

And I'm sick of our lousy economy being to thank for the supply of historic buildings we have. You know what? I don't care: I would trade a lot of historical structures for a stable (if not exactly booming) economy right now. Historical value is a luxury: give me bread first.

And FWIW, I know that our historical buildings are tangible benefits insomuch as they attract tourism, but that's probably small consolation right now. I can't imagine that tourism is especially high at the moment, with all the other sectors of the economy hurting. So that means, when the economy goes sour, it's even worse for us, because RI is heavily dependent on tourism. Wunderbar!

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Pseudo_Work Hamlet

Pseudo_Work

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Posted
Make it Donald Downer, at least, please.

And I can't say I'm embarrassed. I usually don't like to be that person, but it's not like there's much to be optimistic about here. The properties will sell: the price is too good to pass up. But new owner will want to develop the HQ site and will float fantastic images of a high-rise tower, which he/she won't be able to build right away because of the down economy. At first, he/she will claim to want to preserve the existing HQ building as part of the new development, but that plan will vaporize because of the additional money involved. The ProJo offices will move elsewhere, because the developer will want the building vacant to begin site work, but that work will never actually get underway (because that would require a real outlay of funds). The building will sit empty and become an eyesore, derelict. After a little while, the developer will claim that the building has become a safety hazard and push for demolition. People will kick and scream, but the mayor will mysteriously swoop in give his imprimatur to the demolition, and voila! a fantastic new surface parking lot right smack in the middle of the city -- ready for big development if the economy ever improves, but nonetheless lucrative in the meantime.

Just like the Old Public Safety Complex Surface Lot.

And I'm sick of our lousy economy being to thank for the supply of historic buildings we have. You know what? I don't care: I would trade a lot of historical structures for a stable (if not exactly booming) economy right now. Historical value is a luxury: give me bread first.

And FWIW, I know that our historical buildings are tangible benefits insomuch as they attract tourism, but that's probably small consolation right now. I can't imagine that tourism is especially high at the moment, with all the other sectors of the economy hurting. So that means, when the economy goes sour, it's even worse for us, because RI is heavily dependent on tourism. Wunderbar!

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Lone Ranger Burg

Lone Ranger

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For all your seasoned artists, the beautiful downtown, the quality of life, the academics Providence has, Rhode Island is dirt poor and getting poorer by the day. Enjoy that!

But we have pretty buildings! Yay!

Maybe if there were more jobs available, more people could afford to appreciate the good things Providence and Rhode Island have going for them.

Edit:

The fact that you can even begin to advocate knocking half of them down is repulsive.
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AriPVD Hamlet

AriPVD

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While the economy (and lack of financing) is impact number one on development in Downcity Providence, you are missing 2 vital ingredients:

1) Taxation: As we've said many times, if the surface lots were taxed at their full valuation potential (i.e. the max possible building area under zoning,) there would be a disincentive to keeping them as parking. On the flip side of the coin, desired uses, i.e. residential, office and (properly designed) parking garages should be incentivized through targeted tax abatement programs.

2) Transit: As much as I despise walking by a surface parking lot, I do understand that there are not enough options for people who work Downcity to get around by anything but car. Sure, RIPTA has improved, but it would take a healthy dose of idealism to believe that lifetime drivers would jump onto the transit bandwagon with anything less than value, convenience and an easy to understand system. Until the City and the State get serious about providing universal access to Downcity via mass transit, surface parking will remain an undesirable reality.

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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The PBN article alluded to Lone Ranger's scenario stating that no one applied for historic tax credits for this building prior to the program expiring. Also the one story garage addition at the Emmett Square end of the building is being marketed as a "Development Potential."

Certainly a wary eye needs to be kept on whoever buys this property (please maude, not TGP!).

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