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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
Now I want to make the trip downtown too! Thanks for keeping us updated on all of these exciting changes!
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