PROVIDENCE – Plans are moving ahead for a $4 million “food and beverage pavilion” featuring a year-round space for at least one new restaurant operator in Innovation District Park.
The I-195 Redevelopment District recently published a request for proposals to do the engineering and architectural work needed to construct a food and beverage pavilion with a restaurant property in the park located on the west side of the Providence River next to the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge. Responses from interested firms are due by Dec. 22.
“Given the prominence of the location, this structure will be a highly visible public amenity and the quality of the architecture is therefore of critical importance,” according to the I-195 Redevelopment District’s request for proposals.
The exact number of food and drink vendors to be housed in the pavilion is yet to be determined, according to the I-195 Redevelopment District. A separate request for proposals for operators will be conducted “in the coming months,” the district said.
Caroline Skuncik, executive director of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, said the target date for the completion of construction will be sometime in 2023. Funding for the project is coming from the 2020 Beach, Clean Water & Green Economy Bond through the R.I. Department of Environmental Management.
The commission expects to select an architect in January, with the design projected for completion by the fall of 2022.
Skuncik said the project will generate revenue for the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, along with surrounding businesses, while bringing life to the public park.
“We’re taking the next step towards creating a food pavilion in Innovation District Park,” said Caroline Skuncik. “Having food vendors activates the park and brings value to the businesses and the neighborhood.”
The pavilion will be an estimated 4,000 square feet, according to the request for proposals.
“The program may include food-service windows supporting ‘to go’ items,” according to the request for proposals.
In addition to the food and drink pavilion, the project site will feature “landmark public art” that will later be installed by the city, the district said. The Innovation District Park is located on the outskirts of downtown Providence, between the historic Jewelry District, Fox Point and the College Hill neighborhoods of Providence. The pavilion is expected to help make the park “a destination, attracting visitors” and serve as an amenity supporting other park programing, the request for proposals said.
As part of the pavilion, which will feature space for outdoor dining, the project will include space for park staff, along with bathroom facilities for public use.
In addition to the food and drink pavilion, the I-195 Redevelopment District is also supporting a proposed new R.I. Department of Health state lab coming to its Parcel 25, recently taking a vote to devote the 1.07-acre site to the $81 million proposal next to the Wexford Science & Technology Building that’s anchored by the Cambridge Innovation Center Providence coworking space at 225 Dyer St.
Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com.
