COMPLETE: Dunkin' Donuts Center renovations

[Recchia]

So I heard through the proverbial grapevine that there have been talks about a Dunkin Donuts concept store in the new Civic Center - the place where they try out new products. It's not finalized, but it would make sense that they have something in that building. It would be kindof funny having a DD right next to a Starbucks, but I think they cater to a completely different clientel.

Like the one in Pawtucket? That place rocks! (warm muffins and peanut butter cup cookies, need I say more?)

[brick]

Like the one in Pawtucket? That place rocks! (warm muffins and peanut butter cup cookies, need I say more?)

I'm personally more of a fan of the munchkin-sized cream puffs.

[Cotuit]

I walk by the Dunk everyday and I never realized that there were benches here.

[Frankie811]

http://www.pbn.com/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/120631

[Cotuit]

There will be a presentation on the Dunk renovations at the Downcity Design Review Committee Meeting on May 8th.

[Frankie811]

http://www.projo.com/business/content/proj...6.21681aaf.html

[mental757]

http://www.projo.com/business/content/proj...k22.fc9cfc.html

[Cotuit]

McCarvill, convention center authority chairman David Duffy, Governor Carcieri, Providence Mayor David Cicilline and other state and local politicians gathered in front of the Dunk yesterday afternoon for a ceremony to honor the state's war veterans and praise the war memorials in front of the arena one last time before they are packed up and moved into storage to accommodate the renovation.

Ah, I saw a bunch of people in uniform there yesterday, now I know what they were doing.

Once the memorials are removed, exterior demolition will begin. The concrete walls, stairs and plaza around the Dunk's entrance will be taken out this summer, said Duvel. The utilities under the plaza will be relocated and a large underground diesel fuel tank will be removed.

Cool, I didn't think we'd see any exterior work this year.

[provid]

Now if we could only see a render that we know is the correct and up to date one.

[dgreco]

Now if we could only see a render that we know is the correct and up to date one.

I hope they use the first render the originally had, I think it looks a lot better, and would fit the city so much better.

[Frankie811]

Now if we could only see a render that we know is the correct and up to date one.

http://www.riconvention.com/media/photos.html

[provid]

Can't say I am a fan of that one. It looks like it already needs renovations.

[mental757]

well, it seems to blend in with the Convention center at least. And as most of us said in here before - ANY improvement to the current look of the Dunk will be better than whats there now...

[dgreco]

well, it seems to blend in with the Convention center at least. And as most of us said in here before - ANY improvement to the current look of the Dunk will be better than whats there now...

I really hope that they just make the inside look really nice, and make it worth while to go there.

[Mij]

I really hope that they just make the inside look really nice, and make it worth while to go there.

While I also hope for a better arena, it is worth while to go there when PC has a sold out game vs. Any Big east team.

[Garris]

While I also hope for a better arena, it is worth while to go there when PC has a sold out game vs. Any Big east team.

Slightly off topic, for PC fans here (I don't follow the Big East that closely), how good is the team looking for the next two years? I'd be great to have a top team competing there at the same time the arena is going to be completed!

- Garris

[Lone Ranger]

They're a very young team. Barring a miracle, probably not so good next year, although there's potential. Possibly good the year after that, with the usual caveat about unexpected injury.

[Mij]

Slightly off topic, for PC fans here (I don't follow the Big East that closely), how good is the team looking for the next two years? I'd be great to have a top team competing there at the same time the arena is going to be completed!

- Garris

The team started 3 Fr. and 1 Sh. last year. They only lost 1 major player; Donnie McGrath. This year they should be an awsome team to follow. One of the First games of the season will be against the defending National Champion "Florida". This is mostly due to alumni player "Billy The Kid Donaven" who is the head coach of Fla. This should help to create an early season buzz for the team. If they should some how pull off the "W" I'm sure non-conference games will be as hard to get as in-conference. I fully exspect this team to make the NCAA tourey this year.

[prudence]

The team started 3 Fr. and 1 Sh. last year. They only lost 1 major player; Donnie McGrath. This year they should be an awsome team to follow.

As a season ticket holder, I'd love a pair of those rose colored glasses of yours.

This team was horrendous this year, and the only hope is that they'll be a little less horrendous this year.

It's a good thing seating capacity is going to be smaller this year because of the renovations, hides all of the empty seats.

I do concur with the previous poster who said in two years this team could be decent. But this year - don't hold your breath!

[Mij]

As a season ticket holder, I'd love a pair of those rose colored glasses of yours.

This team was horrendous this year, and the only hope is that they'll be a little less horrendous this year.

It's a good thing seating capacity is going to be smaller this year because of the renovations, hides all of the empty seats.

I do concur with the previous poster who said in two years this team could be decent. But this year - don't hold your breath!

I beg to differ. As the younest team in the Big East, PC gave Villonova, UCONN, ant Pitt twice runs for their money. As a young team PC failed to close teams out, and eventually lost due to the fact that the team had a lack of depth. With the Big East being the center of the College BBall universe (at least to me) I would like to think that last years team has grown a little. O yeah and this kid from Isreal also is no joke. If they can land him.

[Lone Ranger]

Garris, suffice to say that there's a wide range of views on PC's prospects for the immediate future, as you can see.

At best, I think the boys are NIT material this year. A moderate outlook says that this season will probably be spent ramping up for bigger things in the 2 seasons after that. There's a lot of great young talent on the PC squad, though, so you won't be wasting your time to check in a few times this season -- also, since these last two years, PC has played one of the best (i.e., toughest) schedules in the country. And if I say so myself, the boys have certainly held their own in the process.

[DaveRPI]

why do architects and planners insist upon lining developments with trees? evenly and tightly placed trees seem to always "ring" a development. it looks cliche. it looks like a barrier. it looks conjured up. if we designed this back when i was in arch-studio my professor would ask why i chose to put them in the places that chose. i would say something to distract from the real reason, because everyone else does it and it seemed like the right thing to do. i would then get called out on my BS and told to be more original, creative, and let form follow function.

the only function i see here is to put trees in for the sake of putting trees in. they are symmetrically lined because it looks neat and clean. cities need trees so no one opposes.

i oppose. these trees look horrible.

designers... can you plese be more creative and stagger them at the least? maybe even think up a pattern that would frame the building so as to make it look better, if the only reason you are putting them there is to satify a need for trees. thank you...

[mental757]

I think trees are nice, but getting creative with the landscaping can't be high on many of the developers/designers lists???

[jencoleslaw]

especially downtown where you have to build out to the entire lot, there isn't a lot of room to get all wacky with landscaping. I agree that there are times when the trees don't need to be all in a row like soldiers, but i think a lot of designers look to the tree lined streets of europe for their inspiration and considering the limitations on the lots, i say "go trees, go!"

and on renders like this, the trees are usually the first thing to go anyway.

[xine]

why do architects and planners insist upon lining developments with trees? evenly and tightly placed trees seem to always "ring" a development. it looks cliche. it looks like a barrier. it looks conjured up. if we designed this back when i was in arch-studio my professor would ask why i chose to put them in the places that chose. i would say something to distract from the real reason, because everyone else does it and it seemed like the right thing to do. i would then get called out on my BS and told to be more original, creative, and let form follow function.

the only function i see here is to put trees in for the sake of putting trees in. they are symmetrically lined because it looks neat and clean. cities need trees so no one opposes.

i oppose. these trees look horrible.

designers... can you plese be more creative and stagger them at the least? maybe even think up a pattern that would frame the building so as to make it look better, if the only reason you are putting them there is to satify a need for trees. thank you...

I agree - and those trees in particular look horrible. That doesn't look like the work of the lead designer. That looks like the work of the poor intern who was assigned to do the rendering and threw them in at the last moment from their CAD library because they were short enough to not hide the building.

I hold out hope that the actual landscape design will have some thought put into it...the current plantings looked great early in the spring when everything was abloom.