Jef Nickerson
Parcels 27 and 28 are on either side of Clifford Street south of Richmond Street. Image from Google Maps
Parking issues that have arisen as perhaps the final stumbling block before a development team starts building its planned innovation center and hotel on former highway land were addressed Monday night when the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission agreed to allow temporary surface parking on some of its land, if necessary.
[…]After a brief public hearing with few speakers, the I-195 Commission voted to allow nearly 2 acres of the former highway land — Parcels 27 and 28 — to be used for surface parking if the innovation center is ready to occupy before a nearby parking garage is ready to accommodate judges, lawyers and court officials from the J. Joseph Garrahy Judicial Complex. But that 1,200-space parking garage is also intended to accommodate 400 anticipated workers in the planned innovation center and adjacent hotel.
Greater City Providence
Let’s remember this as the day it all went to hell
There are quite literally always plenty of open street spaces over there, 24/7/365.
Is this that big of a deal right now? Wont the lot be dead and not profitable once the garage opens up? It isn’t like the area is as busy as downtown right now and overflow from other lots will make its way to this area, is it? Meaning the owners won’t want to keep it a lot for long?
Someone remind me again why the 195 commission hasn’t sold these properties already? It’s been how many years now?
Dear Mayor Elorza,
Please direct your Planning Department – which has been paralyzed into tardy action (if any action at all) by their timidity in the Jewelry District for over fifteen years – to decline any application for a curb cut on any city street in the 195 lands in the Jewelry District. Tell the 195 Commission “NO” in no uncertain terms. The City owns the curbs, I believe. Leverage what little control you have … or just sit on the sidelines and scratch your heads as usual.