Home News Story Updated plans for Parcels 14, 15 unveiled to I-195 commission

Updated plans for Parcels 14, 15 unveiled to I-195 commission

By

Katie Castellani

-

05/15/2024

New195 — A YEAR after being selected as the developer for Parcels 14 and 15 in the I-195 District, CV Properties’ vision for the property has shifted. A spokesperson for CV Properties told PBN Tuesday that the updated proposal has approximately 7,000 square feet of additional space to make way for the added residential units. /COURTESY CV PROPERTIES LLC

PROVIDENCE – A year after CV Properties LLC was to develop Parcels 14 and 15 in the I-195 district, the developer unveiled its new vision for the property. “We’re really excited about where we are because, in this environment, it’s all about can we get a design that works,” Richard Galvin, founder and president of

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1 COMMENT

RICHARD RENDINE 05/16/2024 At 9:38 am

The new plans and the deletion of larger apartments indicates that this project is another one that will cater to students and other transients, not a good omen for a stable and vibrant downtown. Years ago the city of San Diego to meet such a goal promoted the construction of larger apartments and also the conversion of rentals to condos meet the goal of a more stability downtown residential community. Providence has consistently shown to be behind the times on this aspect and officials here appear to have no clue as they allow developers to do whatever they want.

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PROVIDENCE – A year after CV Properties LLC was to develop Parcels 14 and 15 in the I-195 district, the developer unveiled its new vision for the property. “We're really excited about where we are because, in this environment, it's all about can we get a design that works,” Richard Galvin, founder and president of CV Properties, said at the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission meeting Wednesday, "not only for the community at large for the residents, both outside and inside, as well as to create something that we can finance and build in this environment." A year ago, CV Properties, a commercial real estate development and investment company, had proposed an 11-story, 149-unit residential building on the parcels on Dyer Street overlooking the Providence River. Originally, the building was going 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. Updated plans, with the project name “Dyer Wharf,” presented to the I-195 Commission Wednesday show 49 additional residential units, for a total of 198, and the same amount of commercial space as the original renderings. The updated proposal also has approximately 7,000 square feet of additional space, for a total of around 166,000, to make way for the added residential units. The mix of unit sizes has also changed. All seven three-bedroom units were deleted while the number of two-bedroom units was cut in half, and more studios and one-bedroom units were added. Now the proposal contains 89 studios, 97 one- and 12 two-bedroom units. And while the original proposal set aside 10% of the units for lower-rent "workforce housing," the updated plans and presentation on Wednesday did not mention workforce housing. The updated proposal includes 45 surface parking spots, according to a spokesperson – a change from 56 spots of underground parking spots originally proposed. Galvin said the site's location near the river made underground work difficult, particularly because wharfs were once located in the same spot. Galvin said the parking would be moved to a podium lot that would be constructed in later phases of the project. 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 with no balconies or a rooftop garden. Jessie Eveler, senior design lead with SGA Architects, said the updated design reflected feedback the firm received about breaking up the building’s massing. A year ago, the commission’s consultant, Tim Love of Utile Architecture and Planning, recommended the commission select CV Properties as the preferred developer for the property because of the “strength of the initial proposal.” On Wednesday Love said the architects came up with an intelligent way to help reduce the effects of the building’s scale in the updated plans. But some project design details were more similar to a commercial or life sciences building, not a residential building. Love noted that, in this case, two commercial buildings are coming after it, so it would be better to have a variety in designs. “I don't think the broader goals of the design review we've been doing is to create a matchy-matchy district where buildings look too much the same," Love said. Sharon Steele, president of the Jewelry District Neighborhood Association, used part of her public comment period to read comments from the group’s architect Lorenzo Apicella. In his comments, Apicella said there were concerns over a “very different scheme" from the original proposal, and he had design suggestions about how the building’s massing, materiality, texture, windows sizes and proportions and overall design could be changed. “I continue to believe CV can bring to this part of Providence, a much-needed confidently contemporary and financially viable scheme. The design team has the track record for me to believe they will,” Steele said. “However, I don't feel they can do so by just tweaking this latest design. In my view, it will need a clear-eyed reassessment of its aims and a bold reconfiguring of its core elements.” In her own comments, Steele agreed with Apicella that the commission should require future design review panel discussions with CV Properties to include design representatives from surrounding neighborhoods. Steele said the designs presented last year were what the group envisioned for the site. She also noted members of the neighborhood group discussed the designs at a recent meeting and read a comment that was representative of the group’s thoughts. “The proposed building is not only bland but does not take advantage of the site. The building could be placed anywhere in the US,” Steele said. “I cannot imagine designing an apartment building that overlooks both a park and a river and does not include both balconies and a rooftop terrace.” Galvin said the development team will continue working with stakeholders on the design and he hopes to get the project underway in the first quarter next year. Construction was previously expected to begin this past May. No vote was taken on the project as commissioners said this is a part of the ongoing design review process. The project will also require input from the Providence Downtown Design Review Committee because the site includes city land. It was not immediately clear when the plans would be presented again. Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com