PROVIDENCE – The City Planning Commission on Tuesday voted to move forward with a local developer’s controversial plans to demolish two buildings along Wickenden Street and build a five-story, mixed-use property in the Fox Point neighborhood.
The proposal by Fox Point Capital LLC, associated with Providence Realty Advisors, would level the buildings located at 251 and 269 Wickenden St. for a building that would house 62 residential units, multiple ground-floor commercial spaces and a basement with internal parking spaces.
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While the commission approved the master plan, the developers must make design adjustments to the landscaping, drainage management, parking for deliveries, signage and a dimensional adjustment to the fifth floor based on the building’s height at the corner of Wickenden and Brook streets.
Many neighbors and local business owners have opposed the plan, citing concerns that the development – which would be one of the tallest buildings on the street lined with shops and multi-family homes – does not fit in with the neighborhood.
Wickenden Street was lined with flyers from the Fox Point Neighborhood Association and its interim president, Lily Bogosian, that read “Don’t let Wickenden Street become Thayer” in the days leading up to the meeting.
At the outset of a public hearing on Tuesday, the developers said they had heard the complaints of neighbors and altered some aspects of their proposal. The most recent plans include breaking the structure’s composition into three parts as well as lowering the building and adjusting the pedestrian entrance to align better with the sidewalk and rest of the street.
Dozens of community members testified at the hearing Tuesday, with a majority of the comments in opposition to the plans. Many complained about the building’s size and height, and about the lack of parking set aside for 62 apartments.
“No self-respecting citizen, planning official, neighborhood group or local official should allow this turkey to get off the drawing boards,” said local resident and architectural critic William Morgan. “I am very pro-development, but I absolutely encourage smart, intelligent, creative and economically viable and sustainable development and this is not that.”
Those in favor of the proposal noted the city’s need for additional housing.
“For me as a renter, there’s a lot of wonderful people who want to move to Providence …they’ll either bid up my two-bedroom apartment or they’ll move into buildings like this,” said local resident Matthew Schaelling. “No matter what we do we won’t stop people from coming, so I think building more buildings like this helps.”
The developers said there are no plans to provide affordable housing at the site and the rental units will likely go for market rates.
Developers will continue adjusting the renderings and will submit preliminary plans, but there is no timeline for when they will present the project again.
Opposition to this building is mystifying given that it supports the concept of a livable, walkable city. The strength of any urban area is its density and throwing that advantage away by encouraging sprawl and cars is not wise. Nimbyism opposition is one chief cause of escalating housing costs across the nation and the very fact that the vacancy rate is low and costs high in Providence shows the failure to understand the bigger picture as we enmeshed in details and “weeds”. Examples abound, for one, rather than push for higher number of parking spaces for new buildings, we should be pushing for less. You want more walkers not less. Also when you oppose bike lanes and encourage one way roads that cater to speeding cars, you defeat the concept of a pedestrian friendly, livable city. The controversy around South Water street re-configuration is perfect example of this. We need to think in bigger terms and not the pettiness seen in the review of this specific project.
Richard – I agree, same folks that opposed the Fane Tower. They complain and complain but yet none of them are doing anything to invest in the city rather all they do is use the city’s resources.
Apparently, neither Dick nor Jim A) live within walking distance of this project (as I do); B) have the architectural creds of Will Morgan; C) realize that this project is destined to become student housing. Go back to fairy land, boys.