Jef Nickerson
Providence Business News reports that the former Shooters Nightclub on the Providence waterfront next to the Community Boating Center, will be demolished starting tomorrow.
The parcel was purchased by RIDOT to use as a staging area for the Route 195 relocation project and was recently purchased from RIDOT by the state Department of Environmental Management. The purchase by one state agency from another state agency was approved by voters as part of a 2010 ballot measure. DEM paid RIDOT $3.2 million for the property.
DEM issued an RFI early this year to find a private developer to redevelop the property with. The agency is still soliciting proposals as it reviews those it has received thus far.
No one is going to cry over the loss of this structure, but it is always a shame in my eyes to let all the energy and resources that went into building the structure go to waste. Someone could have come up with a kick ass idea for re-use, but they won’t be able to do that once the building is gone.
In the interim, I can’t imagine anyone pushing for a parking lot on this parcel. Could you?
Greater City Providence
Seaplane terminal. Solved!
Heliport
Valet parking lot for waterfront restaurants. Book it.
They’re running out of buildings to demolish for parking up here on Federal Hill, maybe the Atwells Valets can park cars here.
Jef, there’s already a helipad in the park beside S. Water St. From the RISD architecture building, every so often a small helicopter would touch down on the pad and take off again…seems like they were using it for landing practice or something? http://maps.google.com/maps?q=providence+ri&hl=en&ll=41.821316,-71.404952&spn=0.000876,0.001194&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=59.769082,78.222656&vpsrc=6&hnear=Providence,+Rhode+Island&t=h&z=20
We need a whole heliport though, not just a helipad. We need like T.F. Green Heliport with a Starbucks and Legal Seafoods and a skybridge or something.
If they build a seaplane terminal on the Shooter’s property, they could connect it to the helipad with a covered, elevated, moving sidewalk. Then it’d be “intermodal.”
Pedestrian bridge to nowhere
what about zip-copters? like zip cars, but for helicopters?
While it’s fun to speculate about the bright and shining future of the land, I think deep down we all know how Providence does it. Surface parking lot.
You know what would be great at that spot and something that would attract people? A restaurant and nightclub where people can party by the river.
Oh wait….
I think it could’ve been converted into a performance venue similar to Lupo’s. It’d be nice to have another venue that size to go see concerts, and perhaps not get kicked out at 10 so it can turn into a nightclub. I have mixed feelings about this building being demolished though.
Casino
i think jef tweeted that the demo will be tuesday instead. maybe the demo crew will finish taking down Grove Street School “by mistake” tomorrow.
Put a cone on it.
Water Taxi to E.G. / Wickford / Newport?
Was the demo of Shooters just a rumor gone viral? Because as of yesterday (Friday) it was still standing. I can’t wait for that thing to be torn down and start a new chapter for Providence’s Waterfront.
Word is Tuesday. Not sure what prompted the delay.
Such a shame, I’ve had a plan for that building for three years but couldn’t raise the money to purchase it. A historic Providence landmark to be demolished and turned into nothing useful or tax generating.
BOOOOOOOOOOOO
ProJo video of the Shooters demo.
What I want to know is, the floating docks, which have been unused since 2001; why did the Coast Guard never require RIDOT to remove those? They have clearly been a hazard to navigation for a long time. And why did the City not force RIDOT to remove them? They have clearly been a public safety hazard for the decade they’ve sat unused. How many buildings have been torn down in this city because they were a, “Public Safety Hazard.”