City panel to review 2 projects – one on East Side, one downtown

THE PROVIDENCE DOWNTOWN DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE is expected to take up two new proposed buildings for the city on March 14, including this 10-story, mixed-use building on Canal Street, far right, bounded by Elizabeth, Throop and Canal streets. / COURTESY JO ANN BENTLEY ARCHITECT
THE PROVIDENCE DOWNTOWN DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE is expected to take up two new proposed buildings for the city on March 14, including this 10-story, mixed-use building on Canal Street, far right, bounded by Elizabeth, Throop and Canal streets. / COURTESY JO ANN BENTLEY ARCHITECT

(Updated, March 8, 12:54 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – Two projects that would involve new construction of downtown buildings will come before a city design review panel this month for initial discussion.

A 10-story, mixed-use building is proposed for 169 Canal St., now a surface parking lot, bounded by Elizabeth, Canal and Throop streets. The property owner, Charles Tapalian, proposes 144 apartments and ground-level retail, according to a letter submitted by architect Jo Ann Bentley, president of Jo Ann Bentley Architect Inc., of Fall River.

The project, called Canal Street Apartments, would include nine floors of apartments, at 16 units per floor, according to filings made with the city. Units would be between 400 and 622 square feet, according to the documents.

City assessor and state corporation records have identified the property owner as MSI Holdings LLC, with a registered agent of David C. Tapalian. The 0.22-acre site had a value of $516,200 in 2014, according to the city assessor database.

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In her letter to the city Department of Planning and Development, Bentley identified the owner of the property to be Charles Tapalian. Tapalian is the former owner of the Cheaters Gentleman’s Club, which was closed following a 2013 incident after a teenage girl was found to be performing as a stripper and others were soliciting sex, according to the Providence Journal. The paper said that Tapalian transferred the license for the club roughly a year ago to a new owner.

The second project would place a parish house building and stair tower on a portion of the parking lot behind the Grace Episcopal Church, at 175 Mathewson St. The church recently completed an $800,000 exterior renovation.

In an interview with the Providence Business News in May, the Rev. Jonathan Huyck said the church was undertaking its first major capital campaign in 25 years to complete the work, to include a new building covering a portion of the adjoining parking lot. In recent months, the site has been used as construction staging for the Kinsley Building renovation.

The proposals are coming before the Downtown Design Review Committee on March 14. The committee has authority to review exterior building plans downtown.

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