PROVIDENCE – The Hope Point Tower project is scheduled for a public hearing this afternoon at City Hall, before a committee that will recommend whether to allow its 46-story height.
The project, put forward by the New York-based Fane Organization, has divided many people who live and work in the city. Ultimately, the 15-member Providence City Council will decide whether to rezone the parcel to allow a 600-foot-tall building.
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The current zoning for the property, at 250 Dyer St., would allow 100 feet of new construction.
The Committee on Ordinances of the City Council is expected to open the public hearing at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers.
It is not clear whether the committee, led by Councilman Terrence M. Hassett, will hold a vote following the hearing. A meeting following the public hearing has been scheduled, according to a council spokesman.
The project initially was introduced as a series of three towers.
The proposed site, called Parcel 42, is part of the Interstate 195 Redevelopment District, whose commission last year authorized a purchase price for the land and granted it preliminary development approval.
The General Assembly this year agreed to shave the size of the neighboring district park, on Parcel 5, to accommodate the base for the tower.
In mid-May, the Providence City Plan Commission voted to recommend the city reject the zoning change – despite a recommendation to approve from the city’s planning staff.
The decision followed hours of divided comment at several public hearings.
Opponents, which include several surrounding neighborhood associations in Providence, as well as the council’s downtown district representative, say the project amounts to spot zoning – designed to benefit a single developer.
Councilman Seth Yurdin, who represents the downtown and Fox Point, has opposed the tower since it was introduced. He urged the I-195 commission to reject it as being incompatible with the city’s comprehensive plan and zoning. “The design of the proposed building disrupts the historic character of downtown Providence and the river front, which is currently lined by many historic buildings.”
Another council member, Nirva LaFortune, on social media yesterday said the luxury tower would not necessarily provide the housing that is needed in Providence. “Median household income for Prov: $37,366,” she wrote on Twitter. “33 percent of residents own, 67 percent rent. The average price of a 2-bedroom: $1,203 ($48,120, income needed to afford this).”
Proponents, including many labor unions, say it will provide economic development, jobs and make a bold architectural statement.
Justin Kelley, the business representative for Painters Local Union 195 of
District Council 11, wrote the following in a letter sent to all council members: “This project is good for the city. It means growth. It means breaking from the status quo and welcoming someone who wants to invest a quarter of a billion plus dollars into this city.
We need the tax base, we need the housing opportunities, we need the housing density for the future of our city.”
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
