Greater City Providence
Aerial view of Wexford project at full build-out
The I-195 Redevelopment District Commission authorized a series of incentives Monday to attract Wexford Science & Technology LLC, as well as the Cambridge Innovation Center, to two prime parcels of the former highway land.
In a presentation made in public session, the principals of both companies, as well as developer CV Properties LLC, outlined their plans to collaborate in a $158 million first phase of a mixed-use, innovation district and life-sciences center.
The project will include a 170-room hotel with event space and a seven-story, 191,000-square-foot Innovation Building, which will include 66,000 square feet for the CIC, a Massachusetts-based firm that provides individual and collaborative spaces for startup companies. Brown University, as well as the CIC, have signed letters of intent to lease space in the new building, with Brown moving its School of Professional Studies into a planned, 50,000-square-foot portion.
The hotel would be developed by CV Properties LLC, which is now constructing the South Street Landing project.
WPRI reports that the hotel will be an Aloft brand.
[alert type=”muted”]See also:- Cambridge Innovation Center
- Aloft Hotels
- Greater City Providence: 195 Parcels 22 & 25 Wexford Science & Technology and CV Properties LLC proposal
Rendering of proposed Aloft Hotel
Rendering of proposed Innovation Center
Rendering of both Phase I buildings as seen from the river
Jef Nickerson
Really looks inviting with all that park land stretching to the riverfront… instead of three towers sitting on a gigantic 6-story plinth massively blocking 450 or so feet along Dyer between CV-Wexford and the “public” park.
Not much sense kvetching about that, as SOMETHING is going to be built on Parcel 42 regardless, which was the city’s plan all along. That something was going to be 450′ long and between 100′ and 160′ in height, as per the city’s recommendations for the site.
Wexford/CV were fully aware of that while crafting their proposals for P’s 22 and 25.
So with regards to Wexford/CV position, I would think the only legitimate complaint to be made against the P42 proposal is that the city strongly suggested in its site recommendations that some sort of pedestrian thruway be designed to break up that 450′ stretch and allow easy access to the public park and pedestrian bridge. Fane hasn’t been eager to accomodate that wish, but he should be held to the fire in that regard.