After years under contract with an out-of-state developer, Parcel 42 on the former Interstate 195 land in Providence is finally up for grabs again. But a lot has changed since the parcel first went on sale, and commissioners are considering what the future will look like for the 1.08-acre parcel. For over six years, the
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The lack of vision and deep understanding is on display here by comments like “the commission should reconfigure the parcel to promote commercial development, possibly in life sciences. That’s where the “future of the Jewelry District and of job growth” is. The fact that this view was expressed by Lincoln Chaffee many years ago should give pause to any thoughtful, unbiased person to reflect on why that hasn’t happened to date. What is needed is an open mind, a dose of reality and not rigid thinking. For example, 100 ft variance should be questioned especially for a narrow parcel like 42 because dogmatic holding to it assumes the knowledge that a residential building limited to that height on that narrow parcel is financially feasible.
Also, recall that rigid adherence to unrealistic zoning laws in San Francisco has led to the housing crisis and skyrocketing rents currently plaguing that city. We shouldn’t duplicate that situation in Providence and ignore the density advantages of the city.