COMPLETE: The Old Public Safety Surface Lot

[jencoleslaw]

I look at this as a choice between a decaying structure (nice or not) and a parking lot. While not advocating more parking lots, I think it might be better to market this parcel as E@B if it were cleared.

[mental757]

i believe that anyone in the design biz who can't envision what a parcel would look like empty in order to come up with a good design--who needs to have a building come down in order to market it, has no business being in either real estate or design.

[xine]

I'd be willing to bet the sketchy state of design is due more to the developer's unwillingness to invest a lot in design fees up front than a lack of imagination. No one wants to invest time or money if the project's feasibility is sketchy. The Fogarty site drawings in particular look like about 3 days work, if that.

It's a chicken and egg dillemma because one needs to develop the design to get approvals, tenants and funding, but approvals, tenants and funding are needed before there's cash available to pay for the design.

Now if some civic minded lending organization were to offer low interest loans to developers to pay design fees during the approval process so that smaller (and perhaps more adventurous) developers could participate in our city's redevelopment, perhaps we'd see some meaningful design discussions and proposals at this early stage. As far as I know, though, predevelopment loans are pretty hard to come by.

[brick]

Now if some civic minded lending organization were to offer low interest loans to developers to pay design fees during the approval process so that smaller (and perhaps more adventurous) developers could participate in our city's redevelopment, perhaps we'd see some meaningful design discussions and proposals at this early stage. As far as I know, though, predevelopment loans are pretty hard to come by.

[Jerry2]

I agree with the swiss cheese lady and Miss Coleslaw. This should not be torn down until groundbreaking is absolutely evident.

[spanishboy]

I agree with the swiss cheese lady and Miss Coleslaw. This should not be torn down until groundbreaking is absolutely evident.

[gregw]

I agree with the swiss cheese lady and Miss Coleslaw. This should not be torn down until groundbreaking is absolutely evident.

[Jerry2]

But developers tend to want to tear down buildings they're not planning on using because the insurance rates on vacant property are astronomical. A developer once told me that the annual premiums were like 1/3 of the value of the property.

[DaveRPI]

this site is a bit bigger than grant's block and they'd be tearing down every bit of building on it makign it completely surface. it wouldn't work with a small "park" like what grant's block has because there's not enough foot traffic there and it's surrounded by streets, some really high speed streets. not a nice place for a park.

TPG can secure they building, they just choose not to. people getting hurt allows them to tear it down and charge for parking... $30 a car when britney's in town, maybe more since it'd be teh closest lot to the dunk.

[Garris]

very true but if i was the owner of the lot...and i could make profit out of it while time passes for the need of a building to get built...why not?

[glassandsteel]

Ha ha, high speed in RI? Yeah, that pushes about 12 mph.

[billypc99]

According to Bidclerk

"Demolition, site work, and new construction of a commercial building in Providence. Design plans call for the demolition of a former police headquarters, and the construction of a commercial building with a five-story horizontal podium, four of which....."

[provid]

I don't think the demolition was approved by the city.

[Cotuit]

I don't think the demolition was approved by the city.

[DaveRPI]

i believe that anyone in the design biz who can't envision what a parcel would look like empty in order to come up with a good design--who needs to have a building come down in order to market it, has no business being in either real estate or design.

[runawayjim]

i actually like your post on this subject

but the cost of demo may be something that has to be taken into account

if its done at today's premium and it allowed for soil samples etc, then maybe there would be more money and less unknowns present at the time of actual construction

[RLucas83]

Check this building in Chicago out.... looks almost like a sneak preview of E @ B http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=abnamr...-chicago-il-usa

[runawayjim]

Check this building in Chicago out.... looks almost like a sneak preview of E @ B http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=abnamr...-chicago-il-usa

[Garris]

Check this building in Chicago out.... looks almost like a sneak preview of E @ B http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=abnamr...-chicago-il-usa

[dgreco]

Check this building in Chicago out.... looks almost like a sneak preview of E @ B http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=abnamr...-chicago-il-usa

[jencoleslaw]

it is that time again--this is up before the DRC for demo today....

[bhooley]

it is that time again--this is up before the DRC for demo today....

[runawayjim]

it is that time again--this is up before the DRC for demo today....

[Cotuit]

I pointed this building out to my brother visiting over the weekend. He couldn't believe they were trying to save the Fogerty building but tear down this one.

[bhooley]

They want to tear the Fogarty down too now.