WPRI: Store’s opening squashed by judge
Federal Hill and West Side friends and neighbors rallied on Sunday morning in support of Cluck!, an urban farm supply store that is trying to open at the site of a former gas station on Broadway.
The business was approved by Zoning to open but was challenged in court on a technicality and lost, forcing owner Drake Patten to begin the Zoning process from scratch. Read Drake’s commentary on what has happened.
Still catching up on some photos that were shared in our Flickr Group before the blizzard:
Photo © Pinkalong
Photo © saramarsh
Photo © 3LensesPhotography
The Zoning Board of Review will meet on Wednesday February 6th and there are two items of interest on the agenda.
First is the zoning review for Cluck, an urban farming supply store proposed on Broadway.
Rendering of Cluck, from their Facebook page.
ELIAS AYOUB, OWNER AND DRAKE PATTEN, APPLICANT: 399 Broadway (corner Courtland St.), Lot 11 on the Tax Assessor’s Plat 33, located in an R-P Residential Professional Zone and within the Broadway Historic Overlay District; the applicant seeks a use variance for relief from Section 303-Use Code 55 – Retail Trade – Building and Related Material, more than 2,500 square feet of gross floor area (hardware-retail; nursery and garden supplies-retail including greenhouses; paint, glass, and wallpaper-retail; yard equipment and supplies) pursuant to Section 200, to operate an urban farm supply business including the sale of chicken hens (no roosters), using the existing gasoline station building, installing a modular shed/plant house and decorative fencing, and replacing a portion of the existing pavement with gardens. The lot in question contains approximately 10,850 square feet of land area.
Cluck is the last item on the agenda for the 5:30pm portion of the meeting.
Some more photos from our readers have been added to our Flickr Group, share yours too!
Photo © filledtoovercapacity
Photo © Jerri Moon Cantone
I went out for a walk last night during the storm. Here are some of the photos I took.
The Columbus Threatre is re-opening on November 17th with an event called Revival! That event proved so popular, they’ve added a second night, Revival Too!
Revival Too!
The Columbus Cooperative is excited to announce Revival Too!, a second night of celebration for the reopening of the Columbus Theatre, headlined by the Low Anthem.
Due to the overwhelming response to Revival!, which sold out more than two weeks in advance, this intimate evening of music at the Columbus Upstairs has been scheduled for Sunday, November 18th. Half of profits from the evening will once again benefit ATRAVES, a Providence-based nonprofit working for education, health, and development in Nicaragua.
Doors open at 6PM and music will begin at 7PM. The night will feature:
- The Low Anthem
- Last Good Tooth
- The Silks
- Rachel Jorgensen
- Sean Kennedy
With food by Julians and drink by Revival Brewing Company, the Rhode Island Brewers Guild, and Elevated Spirits.
Revival Too! is generously sponsored by Julians; Revival Brewing Company, the Rhode Island Brewers Guild, and Elevated Spirits; Supply & Demand Music; Mirror Image; Armory Revival Company and Rising Sun Mills; and the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.
Seating is general admission and EXTREMELY LIMITED.
From their website:
Revival!
Saturday, November 17
Doors at 6:00PM. Music begins at 7:00PM.
Tickets available here.Columbus Main Stage lineup: The Low Anthem, Brown Bird
Columbus Upstairs lineup: Roz Raskin and the Rice Cakes, Alec K Redfearn and the Eyesores, Sugar Honey Iced Tea, Keith McCurdy
Food trucks by Julians and Nice Slice will be parked outside the Theatre entrance on 270 Broadway throughout the evening.
The Columbus Cooperative, a volunteer-run organization dedicated to working in tandem with the Theatre’s owner, Jon Berberian, to produce and present high-quality programming and restore the Theatre to cultural prominence in the community, is pleased to present Revival!, an all-ages celebration of the reopening of Providence’s historic Columbus Theatre.
Fifty percent of profits from Revival! will be donated to ATRAVES (pronounced “ah-trah-VASE”), an organization dedicated improving quality of life in Barrio Camilo Ortega, an impoverished neighborhood in Managua, Nicaragua. Proceeds from the event will support an elementary school that serves 250 children who have no other access to education, as well as health and development programs. ATRAVES organizes volunteer trips for youth, students, and professionals from Rhode Island and nationally, and welcomes inquiries from individuals and groups.
Revival! marks the first evening of programming by the Columbus Cooperative, who will work in the coming months to build an in-house programming presence at the Theatre. Beginning in 2013, the Columbus Theatre will also be available for rental by community groups and for private functions. For more information on rental and booking, interested parties may email.
Related: Columbus Theater, Opening Soon?
Notice of Regular Meeting
Tuesday, September 18, 2012 – 4:45pm
Department of Planning and Development
1st Floor Meeting Room 444 Westminster Street, Providence
Former Engle Tire Building, image from Google Street View.
1. Case No. 12-040MA – Addition to United Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP) School at 75 Carpenter Street (Master/Preliminary Plan review)
The applicant is proposing to construct an addition to the existing school creating approximately 15,000 SF of space. The addition will contain a gymnasium, art room and office space. The applicant is requesting to combine master and preliminary plan stages of development – for action (Federal Hill, AP 25 Lot 461)
Many beer afficianados across southern New England are familiar with Nikki’s Liquors on the North Providence / Providence line. Nikki’s is famous for originating the Mix-a-six whereby one can make their own six pack by mixing together any six bottles of the craft beer varieties available.
Owned for the last 12 years by David and Michael Iannazzi, Nikki’s is now fixing to move to the old DePasquale Pharmacy Building on Broadway where they hope to expand their reputation for beer into the fine wine and spirits markets.
On their website about the new location, the owners explain:
- An area where Nikki’s can become a neighborhood partner and an active part of the community; an area with complementary businesses that attract customers with similar tastes and interests; ease of access to downtown and the highways to further develop our status as a destination specialty shop for craft beer enthusiasts; and more physical space to handle our increasing selection.
- The facilities provided by 319 Broadway meet all of our criteria. The larger physical size of this location will also provide space to hold craft beer educational classes and seminars. This location will allow us to continue our quest to expand on our vision of creating the most unique specialty craft beer/liquor boutique in the city.
- We need your support. We believe that the proposed project will be a “win-win” situation for Nikki’s, local area businesses and the Broadway neighborhood community.
As a Federal Hill resident, all I can say is, I can’t wait!
We’re taking a look back at 2011. What Cheering the good and What Jeering the bad.
195 Demolition
You guys all know there are like a dozen cities all over the country that are insanely jealous that we tore down our downtown expressway, right?
Putting aside what happens with the 195 Commission (we’ll talk about that in a minute), it is so totally awesome that the highway is gone. Even without any development happening yet, the Jewelry District has been transformed. Suddenly, with the highway gone, people realize the Jewelry District is on the edge of Downcity. And while the sidewalks aren’t exactly jammed, it is certainly noticeable how many people now choose to walk between Downcity and the Jewelry District, who would not before.
Route 195 being torn down at Chestnut Street in the Jewelry District
Broadway Bike Lanes / Gano Street Sharrows
Anticipated since at least 2008, bike lanes finally showed up on Broadway in 2011.
We also saw the city’s first sharrows show up on Gano and other streets, helping to connect the East Bay and Blackstone bike paths.
Let’s hope we see more bike infrastructure sprouting up on streets all over town in 2012.
35 Weybosset Façade
It is going to mean a parking lot, but a parking lot was in the cards all along, we’ve saved the façade for future use and that is going to greatly blunt the impact of the parking lot.
Thanks to the Providence Preservation Society, the Providence Revolving Fund, and all others involved in saving the façade.
Image: © Chad Gowey 2010. All rights reserved.
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City Meetings
