PROVIDENCE – Quick weekday lunch breaks and Friday afternoon happy hours are the types of casual gatherings envisioned for the Innovation District Park.
Soon, that vision for the west side of the Providence River will become reality, with plans to choose a tenant by early next year to operate the food and drink pavilion, according to documents prepared by Agora Partners.
The Los Angeles-based consultant outlined its work and next steps on the $4 million project at a I-195 Redevelopment District Commission meeting Wednesday night. Modeled after New York City’s Bryant Park and other food-and-drink centered public spaces across the country, the Providence park pavilion project is about more than just what’s on the menu.
It’s the “destination,” a “third place” for nearby office workers and residents to gather for a day or night of casual camaraderie, according to documents submitted to the commission by Agora.
“It’s more a matter of, how does hospitality become a very central part of a greater event or location like a park here,” said John Harding, owner of Urban Food Concepts, which is working with Agora. “Food and beverage is a key to activating that space.”
What’s bringing them there: a 4,000-square-foot pavilion featuring a small indoor seating area (less than 60 seats), accompanied by outdoor dining and a full commercial kitchen, with lunch, dinner and drinks – “ideally” breakfast too — available seven days a week, year-round. There may also be an “ancillary” space with a walk-up window and no dedicated seating open seasonally for food startups and entrepreneurs. The project includes public bathrooms, free Wi-Fi, and area infrastructure upgrades, too.
The grand – and costly – vision has been touted for the economic benefits it will bring to a prominent space in downtown Providence, but also raised concern about competition with other nearby restaurants, lack of parking, and the bond money that is paying for the project. However, Agora described community feedback – including from 30 local restaurateurs – as “extremely positive.
Caroline Skuncik, the district’s executive director, also said Wednesday that feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive,” although “not unanimously positive.”
Harding stressed the importance in his work of consulting with restauranteurs to “build to suit” based on the area needs and wants.
The meeting Wednesday night also included preliminary details on the architectural design and siting from architectural consultant Architecture Resource Office.
Only two people spoke during the public comment period Wednesday, both voicing concern with the proposed location for the pavilion within the park, as well as how public outreach was conducted. Both consultants plan to offer more chances for feedback, including an event for restauranteurs slated for Thursday morning in the park.
The commission plans to issue a request for proposals this fall to find a primary tenant to operate the pavilion, with an operator chosen by the end of the year or early 2023, according to Agora. While the commission is expected to pay for some of the improvements needed under a tenant improvement allowance, the operator would be expected to make “substantial investment” in the space, including providing furniture, fixtures and equipment, according to Agora.
The proposed lease – designed as either a single 10-year agreement or a five-year term with a five-year extension – does not give the operator exclusive rights on selling food and drinks, allowing outside vendors to benefit as well.
The operator would also have to share a percentage of profits from brand sponsorships that were visible in the park.
These provisions were recommended based on financial projections, including sales and rent projections, according to Ben Donsky, principal for Agora Partners. A draft lease will be made public with the bidding process to aid in the negotiating process, Donsky said.
(UPDATED throughout with comment from meeting.)
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
