Urban Planning and Transportation Issues in Biggest Little State in the Union
Urban Planning and Transportation Issues in Biggest Little State in the Union
Who could have predicted that knocking down a derelict gas station could lead to the end of Providence as we know it? When Joe Paolino (former Prov mayor and "owner of half of Providence") razed the circular gas station on Broadway last year for (what else?) parking, he set into motion the implosion of the Downcity district that protected downtown buildings from willy-nilly destruction. In light of a court decision (on a technicality) voiding the district, it just got a lot easier to bulldoze any downtown structures. While the city tries to get its act together to reinstate the district, three downtown buildings might face the wrecking ball.
I was afraid that someone might "accidentally" knock them down overnight, so I took my camera downtown on Monday to get some shots. The buildings are:
90 Westminster Street (and the hole in the urban fabric next to it)
110 Westminster Street (next to the Arcade) - Actually, I've been hoping someone would tear down this awful building, probably the worst on Westminster. But I wanted it down so a good building could be put there (and on it's adjoining surface lot).
100 Washington Street, at Mathewson Street. This building is fascinating, as it is only 12½ feet deep. It's probably impossible to understate the value of a building like this, which adds life to the street and shields Washington Street from a block-sized surface parking lot. Especially in this location between the Convention Center and Westminster/Weybosset Streets, and along Washington St, one of Downcity's most important streetscapes. Building-less breaks in the urban fabric are cancers to cities, and left unchecked those cancers metastasize until the city is a lifeless shell. This has happened in the commercial centers of almost every old city in America, and Providence has been luckier than most.
I really hope these buildings don't get razed (even the ugly one) for the incredibly wasteful purpose of parking. Get working, Providence, and get the Downtown district back in place.
Of course, David Brussat's on the case, too.
TrackBackI can't beleive anyone would knock down a building as unique as 100 Washington Street.
But wait -- wouldn't a Burger King Look good there?
[points gun at own head]
[pulls trigger]
Apparently the Buck-a-Book building has an historic facade underneath the current craptacular facade.
October 2, 2004 01:29 AMAccording to this ProJo article the RI Supreme Court has bought the city some time.
November 11, 2004 09:04 PMYou can look inside 90 Westminster and see that they have trashed the interior. You can see all the wood paneling and moldings which are smashed up as are the walls.
100 Washington is probably my favorite building in Providence. Its not like it takes a lot of space up...tearing it down would provide just enough space to park one Ford Excursion. Tearing it down would create an enormous empty space right in the middle of the city. Could Providence really use any more parking??? the whole south end of downtown by 195 is all surface parking, you got 2 garages on Washington, theres the arcade garage, the mall garage, and theres the parking garage going in between weyboseet and westminster across the street from Johnson & wales, plus a lot more.
November 12, 2004 01:49 AM