Coming Soon!

The Arcade

        As I have discussed in my post on the Providence Place Mall, downtown is lacking in stores to go to, things to do, and general reasons to go there. But soon - hopefully very soon - this will all change. Downtown is going through some very big changes in the near future. New storefronts are being brought to Washington, Weybosset, as well as Westminster. As a potential customer these new areas for shopping would definitely make me want to make a trip to Downtown to shop and get lunch. These storefronts have some great potential and hopefully the spaces will be filled with creative and exciting businesses.

Proposed look for the Biltmore Garage (Washington St.)

     One of these new business ventures is the renovation to the Biltmore Garage. The renovation includes creating six commercial spaces on the ground floor of the Biltmore Garage facing Washington. The changes are already visible in the signage, changing weathered signs out for new and attractive signs with a new color scheme. One of these units will be sizably bigger than the others which could possibly become a restaurant or cafe. The rest of the units all have their own bathrooms and are the same size. If interesting stores move into these spaces this could be a great boost for revitalization of Downtown. With more stores spread around Downtown it could attract more customers, in turn attracting more businesses, creating a stronger Downtown than ever seen before.

The Arcade- Early Days

          The other business venture is the renovation of The Arcade, a beautiful and historic indoor shopping center built in 1828. The Arcade has entrances on both Weybosset, and Westminster, creating easy access from almost all angles. Throughout the years this building has changed hands and it's rumored that it has never actually produced money for any owner. This may soon change. The new Arcade is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2012. The building will have one floor for shopping and two floors with small lofts.. I love this idea frankly. Theses smaller lofts also add a level of living option diversity, instead of just having the luxury Waterplace Apartments this provides a cheaper option. This adds a centralized place for shopping in the heart of Downtown, near other shopping areas, such as the Biltmore Garage. With the economy slowly getting better, this is exactly what Providence might need. Some stores to produce jobs, even if a small amount, and a place that people will want to go to, eventually exploring the rest of Downtown and stimulating the economy. I think The Arcade will especially appeal to teenagers. Right now there are really two areas to shop in Providence: Thayer Street, and the Mall. This will allow teens to become familiar with their capital city with an easy to get to shopping center. This could also attract new RIPTA customers and make Weybosset and Westminster prime real estate for businesses.
       

To learn more about these updates check out the links below!

The Arcade

The Biltmore Garage

Feel free to tweet at @hodgepodgeprov, comment, and email hodgepodgeprov@gmail.com with any questions you may have!

The Parking Problem

Quite a lot of Parking 

          There is a Parking Problem in Downtown, Providence. Contrary to what some believe, there is too much parking. Far more than what is necessary. I believe Providence has a lot going for it, some of which I touched upon in my last post. But, I don't think people will make a trip Downtown to check out all the cars parked in lots, or should I say lack of cars. Even if Downtown was hustling and bustling there would be no need for all of the parking. All it is doing is taking away land that could be used to revitalize Downtown and make it a more attractive destination.
          Downtown is an area too small to be taken over by large, un-attractive parking lots that do not cater to many people. Also, with Kennedy Plaza right in the heart of Downtown one would think this would remove need for parking. Even if business was booming one weekend, with restaurants filled to the brim and PPAC and Trinity Rep with full attendance not all the parking lots would be filled. There could probably be lots completely empty, taking up useful land. Land for restaurants, stores, anything.

5 Blocks = 6 Parking Lots

          The Biltmore Parking Garage located on Washington Street is taking a step forward. With a leg up already with it being multi-story, supply much more parking per foot than other lots it is also doing something a little more. There will soon be six ground-floor shopfronts on Washington Street attached to the Parking Garage. This initiative is led by Cornish Group who has time and time again supported Downtown Providence in its path to success. When these shops get finished and, hopefully, good stores move in, it will add a breath of fresh air to that area of Downtown. Creating a new area to shop besides Westminster Street and the Mall.
          Hopefully, an excess of parking lots in Downtown will become a thing of the past, with business booming, and restaurants filled, maybe there will seem to be a shortage of parking. But for now, the ratio of business to parking is way out of line.

          Feel free to comment below or email me at hodgepodgeprov@gmail.com or tweet at @hodgepodgeprov !

          For more info on the Biltmore Garage check out http://biltmoregarage.com/ !

"Not Dead Yet"

              As I’m sure you have read seen in the newspaper Providence is on a path to bankruptcy. Bankruptcy has affected cities from Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. Harrisburg is an interesting case, being a state capital that has barely anything going for it. Providence, on the other hand, is a state capital that has quite a lot going for it.

Restaurant Row - Harrisburg, PA

 I visited Harrisburg a couple of years ago and its condition really struck me, not believing for a second it was the capital. My family and I stayed at a hotel right on “Restaurant Row”, a street filled with scary looking bars and Cash 4 Gold stores. Being the main street in the capital of the state, one would expect a little more than this. Remember, this was before the city declared bankruptcy. With Providence facing potential bankruptcy in early summer, we don't see anything nearly as bad. Providence continues to have great streets, neighborhoods, and great food as well as other attractions.

Wickenden Street - Providence, RI

          I'm not trying to trash Harrisburg, but instead to instill a little hope for Providence. Providence has restaurants, businesses, and attractions that can help make itself a stronger city, getting Providence back on its feet. While Providence has a little going for it, Harrisburg is lacking. With little reason to visit and many destructive decisions, Harrisburg is not doing so well. The weekend I was in Harrisburg there was a beer festival going on, drawing in people just long enough to get drunk. Not the sign of a flourishing city. On the other hand Providence doesn’t need cheap alcohol to get attention. Drawing people to Federal Hill, Wickenden St., Thayer St., and Downtown for great food and great nightlife. 

          Even though Providence is on the brink of bankruptcy, it is not the only city. With restaurants filling up, and no tumbleweed in sight, Providence is still fighting. Considering Rhode Island is one of the smallest states one would expect Providence to be doing a little worse than the capital of Pennsylvania. I don't mean to offend anyone from PA and I certainly hope HodgePodgeHarrisburg doesn't come after me, but Providence still has a change to get back on its feet. 

 And if you haven’t seen already, HodgePodgeProv is now on twitter! Follow @hodgepodgeprov to get more updates!

 

What I Like in a City

In this post I'm going to get my opinion out about what I like to see in a City. Not in any particular order except for Number 1.

1)Fountains

Ever since I was a little kid I always liked fountains, at such a young age I had no clue why, but now I think I have figured it out. Wherever fountains are, people follow. Fountains add a breath of life to a bleak corner, or under appreciated open space. Of course I realize Providence cannot quickly introduce a fountain the size of the Trevi Downtown, but just a small fountain I feel could make a big impact. There are a couple fountains in the Kennedy Plaza area but I feel like if just a couple more were put in farther away, it could make Downtown Providence a much more walkable city, drawing people Downtown, and keeping them there for a days activities.

2) Open Spaces

Open spaces are a key part to a great city. New York has Central Park, Chicago has Millennium Park, and Washington "The Mall", and many other cities have large open spaces. City Hall Park is a good try at an open space. The only thing lacking is want, the want to be there. Surrounded by busy streets and really no reason to go through the park if only to get to a bus, there isn't much happening. If stores, truck vendors, and more publicized small events happened here it could liven up Downtown as well as make it a resting place and place to grab some lemonade.

3) Quick and Easy Public Transportation
The great thing about New York City's MTA is that it is extremely easy to navigate. After looking at the maps for just a minute you have a very good idea for how to arrive at your destination, even if this is your first time using the Subway. RIPTA is great, don't get me wrong, but adding more signage and showing map routes a little more could make people feel more comfortable using RIPTA, creating more traffic flow through Downtown.


Other Things I like to see in Cities:
-Clean
-Busy Storefronts
-Pedestrianized Streets

Providence Place Mall

          The Providence Place Mall in Downtown Providence thrives every weekend as a place to purchase anything you need, or just a place to spend a rainy Sunday. While PPM is filled on the weekends, Downtown Providence is pretty barren. People wander the streets waiting for a matinee at PPAC or get something to eat at some of the places that I have talked about before, but, overall, Downtown isn't very thriving. Although it may pick up for nightlife, it's nothing like it could be. One feature that takes away from Downtown is the mall.

The Providence Place Mall 

          One problem with Downtown Providence is the shortage of stores. All of the stores teens and college students are attracted to are in the mall. Imagine if all those stores were scattered Downtown. If even one floor of what was on the mall was to be relocated just a few blocks away, Downtown Providence would become a destination for many. Filling up storefronts on Westminster, Weybosset, and Washington, would greatly impact the amount of traffic coming through downtown. Although people may think that having all the stores outside would make a rainy Sunday a day where you could do nothing, what do people in NYC do? They still go out and shop, packing the streets with shopping bags and umbrellas.

Providence Place Mall relative to Downtown

          Having more shops downtown would also greatly increase the amount of use for RIPTA. More parking spots would be filled Downtown, and people wouldn't want to deal with parking in a traffic filled area. Therefore, RIPTA is the perfect option: quick, easy, and it brings you directly to Kennedy Plaza, the heart of Downtown. Also, if there was still a mall, but also shops downtown, people could easily travel from one place to the other. PPM and Downtown are not that far away. Walk down a set of stairs in PPM and you are just a few small blocks from Kennedy Plaza.
          However, another problem with the connection from the Providence Place Mall to Downtown is the threatening Francis St., Memorial Blvd. intersection. Crossing this intersection is equivalent to crossing a highway. Anyone who might think of going Downtown from the Mall would quickly change their mind after encountering Memorial Blvd. With only a Fidelity Bank in sight when about to cross the street,the few are tempted to cross a road as wide as a highway.
          Once a consumer enters the mall, they generally do not leave, walking only from the parking garage to the inside. I mean, why would you? There aren't any stores or anything of interest in sight. All that is across the street is Station Park, a large green area where, most of the time, nothing happens. Although heavy buildings cannot be constructed on most of this space because the Amtrak trains run underneath, this should not rule out the idea of just something  happening. Maybe a skinny building running along the sidewalk, with a few stores. Or even simpler, making some paths and creating some shade, drawing in people, which in turn could draw lemonade carts and other food trucks.
          What some people don't know is that the mall was first created to revitalize Downtown Providence. We can talk about how the economy has stalled the revitalization of Downtown, but when it comes to it, the mall has collected all the action that Downtown could have had, and packed it under one convenient, warm, roof. If changes are made to the Memorial, Francis intersection, and something happens to Station Park, maybe, just maybe, Downtown can be on the comeback trail.