Since 2013, a thin strip of land bordering the eastern shore of the Providence River has served as the seasonal home of the Providence Flea Market, which hosts more than 2,500 artists and makers over the course of its weekend marketplaces.
While this longevity and the market’s popularity may make it seem like a fixture in the area, the Flea’s longer-term residency has never been a guarantee – the 0.28-acre piece of land, known as Parcel 1A, is overseen by the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, which has for years sought proposals to take over and develop the site.
Now, the marketplace’s organizers want to overcome this uncertainty by becoming the parcel’s developer.
In mid-November, the Providence Flea, which is operated by The Providence Flea LLC, was one of four developers to present a proposal for Parcel 1A to the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission. Among the four proposals, the Flea was the only organization that didn’t include a mixed-use building on the site, instead proposing a year-round open-air pavilion and event venue dubbed the Providence Open Marketplace.
The proposal for the hotly contested piece of land – which the Providence Preservation Society described as a “challenging lot” and many, including members of the Fox Point Neighborhood Association, would rather see remain unchanged – attracted an unusual show of support during the public comment portion of the commission meeting.
If the site must be developed, the Providence Flea’s proposal is the only structure that would preserve the area’s character and public access, said association President Lily Bogosian.
Parcel 1A is “located in a place where there are no other [buildings] that are so close to the water,” Bogosian said, and “we’d like to see that waterline, that walkway, that promenade remain public. So, you’re looking at this one proposal that is very pro-public, and then the others, which are private businesses.”
Among the other three proposals under consideration for the site, Riverside Partners LLC has submitted plans for a six-story building with 2,400 square feet set aside for retail and more than 9,000 square feet for public space.
Another proposal, by Riverwalk JV, details a three-story building that would include a restaurant, housing units and outdoor space; and a third, by Province Architecture and Building Co., seeks approval for a mixed-use building that would include office space.
Though numerous community members spoke in favor of the Flea’s proposal at the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission meeting, not everyone is sold on the idea, including Edinaldo Tebaldi, a professor of mathematics and economics at Bryant University.
In their current forms, all four proposals include only limited details, Tebaldi said, with none providing a return-on-investment figure. And while Tebaldi wouldn’t advocate for any of the four proposals at the moment, he sees the least economic potential in a permanent Flea market.
And while the Flea’s proposal calls for a solar array and radiant heat slab to keep the facility usable in the winter, Tebaldi said he’s doubtful about the feasibility of the structure operating year-round due to limited infrastructure in the area.
“The concept is interesting, but it would likely have the least economic impact,” Tebaldi told PBN. “To create money and jobs, you need investment.”
The other proposals “bring retail or a restaurant there, and they also bring housing,” he said, “two very important components in terms of creating jobs and income.”
Under a development statute, any project chosen for the site must advance the area’s economic development.
Measurable economic growth figures aren’t the only factors that should drive the parcel’s fate, Tebaldi says. The commission must also consider “how [the chosen development] positions the city to attract tourists, and to showcase it as an innovative space.
“As we’re calling it an Innovation District, I think that should be part of the decision-making process,” he added.
That’s not to say he thinks the Flea has demonstrated it can fill that role, either. But the proposal’s supporters say the permanent market would add immeasurably to the area’s quality of life, compared with the other pitches.
“You don’t have to go to a Flea Market to appreciate what they’re doing,” Bogosian said. “Just walk by on a nice day, and it’s packed.”
The surrounding, park-like area provides an important amenity to residents, she continued, and helps make the city more attractive to tourists while supporting local entrepreneurs.
“From the perspective of generating income, it does generate income,” Bogosian said. “It’s a different kind of income than maybe what the state is looking for” in terms of taxes, “but the flip side of that is that it’s also attracting what are thousands of locals and visitors every weekend.”
Maria Tocco, market manager for the Providence Flea, was not available for an interview by PBN’s deadline. But on the organization’s Facebook page, the organization said in a statement that it decided to pitch the proposal “after watching unsuccessful bids over the years which could have displaced us, not knowing if we would be able to continue year after year.”
The Flea also expressed a goal of “leaving this [parcel] as much an open green space as possible.”
The riverside piece of land currently serves as the Flea’s home in warmer weather, with the market relocating indoors to Farm Fresh Rhode Island when temperatures dip later in the fall.
While the pavilion would serve as a year-round home for the Flea, it would also accommodate other uses, according to the market’s organizers, such as night markets, concerts, film showings and potentially the Ocean State Oyster Festival.
The Flea Market is a great idea! The others block the river and create “needed housing” in the form of high-end condos where there richy-rich have waterfront views and the rest of us are screwed! Go with the market!!