PROVIDENCE – The I-195 Redevelopment District Commission made progress on two projects overlooking the Providence River Wednesday.
The panel voted to grant concept plan approval for updated plans on the site, which consists of parcels 14 and 15, from CV Properties LLC, which was selected to develop the parcels.
In 2023, CV Properties proposed an 11-story, 149-unit residential building on the parcels on Dyer Street overlooking the Providence River. The building was set to be 159,000 square feet, including 8,000 square feet of commercial space on the first floor. The two-phase proposal also included plans for a parcel that is owned by Brown University.
Then CV Properties presented new plans for the parcels with an additional 49 residential units, for a total of 198, and the same amount of commercial space as the original renderings. To make way for the added residential units, the updated proposal also had approximately 7,000 square feet of additional space, for a total of around 166,000 square feet.
Plans presented on Wednesday show that CV Properties has reduced the number of residential units by 15, to a total of 183. The mix of unit sizes has also changed, so there are now 39 studios – down from 89 included in the prior renderings – with 127 one-bedroom and 17 two-bedroom units.
Also, the original rendering for the building depicted a slightly curved facade and what appeared to be a rooftop garden and balconies on the south side. New plans show a rectangular building with a blue-and-gray color palette.
In May, local residents noted the new plans represented a “very different scheme” from the original proposal, with some calling it “bland.” Tim Love of Utile Architecture and Planning previously said the project design details were more similar to a commercial or life sciences building, not a residential building.
In response to the comments, new planning documents show CV Properties added balconies on the side facing District Park, included different sizes of windows and changed the materials of the facade to give the building a more residential feel.
However, residents say this still isn’t enough.
Lorenzo Apicella, architecture and design representative for the Jewelry District Association, said in a letter to the commission that the new designs “only cosmetically address” the panel’s and community's concerns. Apicella said he’s confident the developer can deliver, but the project needs a “different design approach” and more time to accomplish it.
Sharon Steele, president of the Jewelry District Association, agreed. Steele said in a letter to the commission that the changes “do not begin to address” what the parcels need. Steele and Apicella also noted the project is located on a prominent piece of land overlooking the river.
The commission voted to grant concept plan approval with nine conditions for the developer to address related to the windows, balconies, facade, landscaping and parking.
The project will also require input from the Providence Downtown Design Review Committee because the site includes city land. CV Properties must return to the I-195 commission for final plan approval. It was not immediately clear when the plans would be presented again.
In other commission action, the panel selected Shawmut Design and Construction as the general contractor to construct the 195 District Park Pavilion.
This is the latest step in the yearslong process to develop an approximately 3,500-square foot, year-round food and beverage pavilion in the Innovation District Park.
In December, the commission granted final plan approval for the Architecture Research Office’s proposal for the pavilion. In May, the commission issued a request for proposals for the pavilion with responses due in June.
Shawmut and Bentley Cos. were the two firms that responded to the RFP. Commissioners said Shawmut scored higher on the rubric included in the RFP and they expect the project will be completed in May 2025.
(UPDATE: Recasts the first sentence, plus changes throughout, including the addition of the commission's Wednesday vote results.)
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.
A truly ugly design. The architect of this mess should be ashamed.