Edge College Hill 2, Take II

Rendering of proposed Edge College Hill 2 by DBVW Architects

Edge College Hill 2 made a presentation to the Downtown Design Review Committee (DRC) on January 8th for a 15-story building at 131 Canal Street. They returned to DRC on February 12th with an 11-story design.

This was not a formal presentation to DRC, simply a presentation for discussion. They will likely be back to DRC at a later date with a formal proposal for this site.

View looking down Thomas Street toward Steeple Street, by DBVW Architects

Providence Business News reports on the DRC meeting:

The revised design for Edge College Hill Two would involve a building of 11 stories, about 40 feet shorter than the original design, according to attorney Zachary Darrow, who represents the developer, Vision Properties of Conshohocken, Pa.

The L-shaped apartment structure would wrap around the Congdon & Carpenter building, which is a series of three colonial-era buildings on Steeple Street, said architect Martha Werenfels, a principal at DBVW Architects. But the new design would pull the apartment building off the street at South Main Street to allow a view of the Congdon & Carpenter building coming down College Hill, Werenfels said.

Providence zoning allows a nine-story building on the site, which is now a parking lot. The plans seek a 20 percent bonus for development of two additional floors, which the developer is seeking through a waiver tied to a public use of the first floor. The design presented Monday has room for four retail tenants on that floor.

Reports from the meeting are that public comment zero’d in on the removal of a parking lot (as a negative thing) and the lack of parking in the project. :sigh: