Firm Selected to Conduct Assessment of I-195 Surplus Property
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September 30, 2008 | Print this page | Share This | Email this page
Chan Krieger Sieniewicz chosen to develop redevelopment and marketing analysis in Providence’s Jewelry District
A selection committee comprised of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC) Executive Director Saul Kaplan, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Executive Director Michael Lewis, and Thomas Deller, Director of Planning for the city of Providence announced today that they have chosen Cambridge-based Chan Krieger Sieniewicz (CKS) to perform a redevelopment and marketing analysis of the land that will become available for redevelopment as a result of the relocation of Interstate Route 195 (I-195).
The relocation of I-195 in Providence will make approximately 19.2 acres of land available for redevelopment. This shift in the landscape has the potential to significantly change the skyline of the capital city and create a new hub of high-wage job growth.
In April 2008 the RIEDC, RIDOT and City of Providence signed a partnership agreement to maximize this important opportunity for economic growth. The partnership agreed to facilitate an assessment of the development parcels that reflects the community’s vision for redevelopment. In June 2008, the RIEDC issued a request for proposals seeking a vendor to perform a professional redevelopment and marketing analysis for the surplus property evaluating land use solutions that maximize the economic and tax values of the relocation parcels and enhance the public use and enjoyment of the surrounding areas.
The proposal period closed on July 31, 2008. Nine firms from across the country submitted proposals.
“The selection process for choosing a partner was highly competitive and national in scope. CKS put forth an excellent plan for analyzing the property and developing a plan to optimize its economic and community value,” said RIEDC Executive Director Saul Kaplan. “This is a game changing opportunity for our economy. We will look back proudly 10 years from now at an exciting new skyline at the top of the bay and a 21st century innovation economy producing higher wage job opportunities for all Rhode Islanders.”
The CKS team will be led by Alex Krieger, FAIA. Krieger is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where he has taught since 1977. He served as an advisor to the Providence Capital Center Commission from 1990 to 1998. Additionally, the CKS team will also include staff from the Washington, D.C. and Boston offices of Jones Lang LaSalle, a financial and professional services firm specializing in real estate and investment management; Austin-based Code Studio, specialists in planning and code initiatives; and the Providence office of Fuss & O’Neill, a full-service engineering consulting firm.
CKS has significant experience in the development and design of urban areas. They have driven the design of such redevelopment projects as, South Capital Street Urban Design Network (Washington, D.C.), Canal Street (New Orleans), Detroit West Riverfront District Plan (Detroit), Fort Washington Way Reconstruction (Cincinnati), Dallas Downtown Parks Master Plan & Boulevard Study (Dallas), Rhode Island School of Design Campus Master Plan (Providence), and Capital Center Master Plan and Design Review (Providence). The firm was also awarded first place in the prestigious Shanghai Bund Design Competition.
“The selection of CKS to conduct a full development and market analysis of the parcels made available by the relocation of I-195 is an important next step in optimizing the value of the relocation property and achieving the economic development objectives of both city and the state,” said RIDOT Director Michael Lewis.
The analysis will also be informed by state and local community objectives for the reutilization of this land, including:
- Increasing the commercial tax based in the city of Providence;
- Increasing income, sales and corporate taxes to the state of Rhode Island;
- Helping assure Providence is competitive for fostering knowledge-based industries;
- Optimizing the commercialization of institutional research and development in the city of Providence;
- Creating high-wage jobs in the city of Providence;
- Assuring the project conforms with local land use and zoning conditions of the city of Providence;
- Understanding the impact of the project on recognized properties of historic consequence and surrounding areas;
- Understanding the needs for additional Class A office and other high end uses in this project;
- Understanding the relationship of the existing districts surrounding this project;
- Providing high quality mixed used, design and urban vibrancy in a timely and orderly fashion;
- Creating pleasing connectivity and interaction with the area’s parks; and
- Taking advantage of the area’s proximity to universities, hospitals, waterfront, transit facilities and highway access.
“The selection of CKS to conduct this important market and development analysis is an important step forward in making the relocation of I-195 a strong stimulus of economic growth and ensuring that the redevelopment of the properties is consistent with our community vision for the area,” said Director of Planning for the city of Providence Thomas Deller. “It is exciting to see our partnership move forward and we look forward to working with CKS.”
RIEDC will receive funding from the RIDOT to cover costs associated with the development of the CKS redevelopment and marketing analysis. CKS is anticipated to deliver its final analysis to the RIEDC, RIDOT, and the city of Providence in December 2008.
About Chan Krieger Sieniewicz
Chan Krieger Sieniewicz (CKS), based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is committed to city life and urban revitalization, believing that the well being of contemporary American society is much dependent on the health and prosperity of its cities and the quality of their public realm. CKS is a thirty-person firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts, offering a full range of design and planning services. Founded in 1984, the firm has been built on our ability to cross the disciplines of architecture, urban design and public space planning.
CKS brings a distinctive combination of pragmatic methodology, scholarship, and civic vision to our work. CKS works primarily for the public, educational, and institutional sectors, particularly on projects that engage complex settings and takes special pride in that work, believing that the highest calling for design professionals is to consider and improve the broader context in which specific projects are realized. For more information about Chan Krieger Sieniewicz, please visit www.chankrieger.com.
