PROVIDENCE – Tempers flared at a meeting of the Providence Historic District Commission this week over the proposed construction of a five-story apartment building at 1292 Westminster St., in the Armory neighborhood.
The new building, which has received a master approval from the Providence City Plan Commission, was before the historic district commission for a public hearing.
Located in the Armory Historical District, the project has encountered much resistance from neighbors, who say it’s out of scale with its surroundings and will open the door to larger, obtrusive new buildings.
The site is now occupied by a two-story retail building, which is unoccupied.
B.J. Dupre, a founder of the Armory Revival Co., said the scale of the building is all wrong. And if the city allows a five-story building to move in, alongside a street with mostly one-, two- and three-level buildings, it will lead to more of the same, he said.
“If we allow this mega-building in the neighborhood, what will it do?” he said. “Now the building across the street will become a five- or six-story building.”
Not all neighbors who spoke at a public hearing Monday were opposed. Gregg DeMaria, a resident of 12 years on Harrison Street, said he teaches architectural design at La Salle Academy. The new building would provide the kind of infill density that the neighborhood needs, he said, adding many neighbors want to see the vacated site redeveloped.
“I actually think a five-story building makes sense,” he said.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at macdonald@pbn.com.
