Losing Providence, bit by bit – David Brussat

by David Brussat, Architecture Here and There, contributing writer

Photo, top: 151 Chestnut Street, site of a proposed multi-story apartment tower

The Downtown Design Review Committee met a couple of days ago to consider applications to demolish a couple of buildings on Chestnut Street and Richmond Street in the Jewelry District. I looked them up to see whether I should be concerned. They all seemed to be expendable: not so old, not so appealing.

On the principle that any demolished building is certain to be replaced by something worse, these buildings should probably all be preserved. But that would require a shift in ideals by a city that has lost its way and is unlikely to go with anything other than what would be worse. No campaign to save them or change city policy is likely to succeed.

Above is a Google street view of 151 Chestnut – a parking lot, or so it seems. On either side of the lot are buildings that probably displaced earlier buildings more attractive than what are there now. The heart aches at the thought of what was demolished to make way for this parking lot. The little house built in 1825, unseen off to the side next to the building to the right of the lot, but visible, although distorted, in the rendering (just below) of the proposed tower, seems to be where former Providence Mayor Thomas Doyle lived. His memory may account for its survival, and its immunity from the developers of the residential tower proposed for next door, which went before the DDRC for the latest design examination this week.

According to the Providence Business News, the proposed 12- (cut to 10) story residential tower destined for that parkiing lot was further downsized and presented again last month. The new proposal is down to five stories and down to 21 units from 138 in the initial proposal. It is now without the ground floor commercial space previously announced in 2019, which was granted several six-month extensions for covid and other reasons, possibly including opposition from locals, who rightly opposed even its latest shrunken five stories. At Monday’s meeting it was apparently delayed yet again.

PBN quoted an employee of ZDS, the cheesy local design firm that seems to have taken Providence by storm (and is responsible for the tedious hotel on Parcel 12 next to Kennedy Plaza). Scot R. Woodin described the architects’ so-called “analysis” as follows:

When designing the structure, which features mostly two- and three-bedroom apartments, Woodin noted they had done a “contextual analysis” of the surrounding area that features several historic buildings to understand what would be most appropriate for the site. However, the goal was not to replicate a historic building, but to introduce something more contemporary.

“Something more contemporary”? In historic Providence? Huh? Well, of course! Historical character be damned! Why do something admirable instead of something regrettable! Downright ugly if possible! Obviously, the “contextual analysis” had no meaning whatsoever. It was just a way to make members of the design panel feel good before they usher another piece of Providence into oblivion.

Maybe the proposal will go away, as it apparently has a couple of times already. That’s what all of these pesky proposals should do. It seems, unfortunately, as if another such proposal, the Brown medical building proposed for 261 Richmond St., is destined to move forward. Sad. Since it is dedicated to “science,” it is, typically, a building ugly as sin.

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To read other articles by David Brussat: https://rinewstoday.com/david-brussat-contributing-writer/

My freelance writing and editing on architecture and others addresses issues of design and culture locally and globally. I am a member of the board of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which bestowed an Arthur Ross Award on me in 2002. I work from Providence, R.I., where I live with my wife Victoria, my son Billy and our cat, Gato. If you would like to employ my writing and editing to improve your work, please email me at my consultancy, [email protected], or call (401) 351-0451.