of the Masonic Temple.
After 21 months of revisions, postponements, permitting, testing and planning,
Denver-based hotel operator Sage Hospitality Resources has finally received
preliminary approval to transform the unfinished Masonic Temple downtown into
an upscale hotel.
“It’s been a challenge, and a tough road,” said Michael Coolidge, vice president of development for Sage. “We haven’t even started construction yet.”
Despite the drawn-out planning and approval process for the 270-room Marriott Renaissance Hotel, Sage has maintained that it is committed to seeing the estimated $62 million project through to completion. The approval the developer received from the Capital Center Commission’s Design Review Committee on March 2 solidified excitement for the ambitious project.
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“We’re very supportive of the project,” said Catherine Horsey, executive director of the Providence Preservation Society, at last week’s meeting. “It’s a really gifted design, it was a very difficult envelope to work in and we appreciate all of the work you put into it.”
There were only slight changes made to the final presentation during the public hearing before the committee. The grade for the main entrance will be raised for handicapped access, and two large windows on either side will be access doors.
Pedestrian ramps will be added to the entrances on Francis Street, along with a canopy over the entrance to the restaurant. The stone cornice will be removed along with the existing penthouse and will be rebuilt.
Sage is also working with Narragansett Electric to have a transformer, service switch and meter installed at the southwest corner of the temple or below street level. The full commission is scheduled to meet on March 11 to give final approval.
The members of the committee had nothing but compliments for Coolidge and Sage, who so far have succeeded where another developer failed in 2002.
“Without a doubt this is the best proposal we’ve seen and reviewed,” said Ted Sanderson, executive director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. “This is a true landmark and its preservation is important, in addition to the economic vitality it will bring to the city.”
While Coolidge admitted Sage is behind in its plans to brace the façade (that was planned for last month or this month), the developer has a clear timeline for construction.
“For political reasons, we had wanted to do the bracing (before the approval), to get ahead of ourselves,” he said, but weren’t able to start demolition before that happened.
Sage has already sent plans for bracing the temple and demolition plans to the State Building Commission, which will own the Masonic Temple until the hotel is substantially completed. After the expected final approval on March 11, Coolidge said Sage would present the approval and pull demolition permits starting at the end of March. Demolition is scheduled to begin in mid to late April.
The project is expected to take 24 to 25 months to complete, Coolidge said, “given the complexity of the bracing and demolition.
“It’s been a rather long process, but we think we’ve reached a solution that is the best we could have hoped for,” he said.
Thomas Deller, director of planning for the city, stressed that with all of the construction projects beginning in the next one to two years in the Capital Center, the city has been looking at where construction workers will park, where equipment will be kept and how traffic will keep flowing through these areas.
“I had one developer who thought he was going to close down Memorial Boulevard,” he said. The city is considering shuttling workers from a location outside the city, Deller added.
In response to his concern, Coolidge said that Sage has leased the former Rhode Island Medical Society building on Hayes Street from owner Dr. Walter Bronhard. Coolidge said Sage will utilize the office space and parking only during construction, and would then turn the building back over to the owner.
“Given that it was never finished, and given its derelict state, this is the
single most welcomed project in the Capital Center,” said Design Review Committee
member Jay Goodman. “Everyone should be happy that (we have a) solution, but
that it also looks like a classy place.”
