I-195 commission to review Hope Point tower design

PROVIDENCE – After months of waiting, the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission has scheduled a meeting with The Fane Organization that is expected to include a presentation of the final design, a public hearing and a vote on the Hope Point tower.

The commission, a quasi-public state agency, has the final say on design of projects in the I-195 district. The meeting Wednesday has been scheduled for the newly opened District Hall, at 225 Dyer St., Providence, a feature of the new Wexford Science & Technology building.

The Hope Point tower project, controversial since its introduction, involves a design that requires four waivers from the city’s zoning ordinance, including for its proposed height and lack of transparent frontage at street level.

The commission will review the proposal, including the design of the 6-story podium, or tower base. It has been considered a key issue in the design because it will be what pedestrians and users of a new waterfront park see as they access the park, and walk around the high-rise.

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The commission meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The project, if approved, would be constructed on Parcels 42 and 4, which would be reconfigured to accommodate the structure. The commission last year authorized a purchase and sale agreement, pending all final approvals.

As last described by the developer, Hope Point would be 46 stories, up to 600 feet tall, making it the tallest building in the city. The high-rise floors would be divided into luxury condominiums.

A spokesman for The Fane Organization said Tuesday the developer had not yet filed an application with the city of Providence for a tax stabilization agreement. That TSA filing is one of the requirements for the final approval from the I-195 commission.

Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.