by WPRO News and the Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A developer proposing to build Rhode Island’s tallest building is downsizing his plans from three skyscrapers to just one.
New York City developer Jason Fane has scaled back his proposal to one 43-story luxury apartment building in Providence.
The Fane Organization had unveiled a larger 3-tower complex last month to a commission that is overseeing the redevelopment of land made available when the state moved Interstate 195. The tallest building would have been 55 stories. Some critics called it out of scale for the former jewelry district it would rise from.
Calling the Hope Point Towers project highly compatible with Providence’s existing skyline, Fane said: “Some people think that our proposed towers will be much higher than the existing tall buildings in downtown Providence. In fact, the opposite is true. Some confusion was caused by the angle of the rendering, where perspective made Hope Point Towers look much taller than the other Providence towers including the so-called “Superman” Building. Also, many people don’t realize that ceiling heights at Superman are much higher than a typical apartment or residence.” By reputation, Superman is 26 floors high, but most reference sources, including Brown University, call it 30 floors with the top four, the beacon, not open to the public. Three were used for mechanical equipment and the top floor for a private dining room.
A Fane spokesman says he wants to move immediately on the 43-story tower but could still build the other two later if there’s market demand. He’s urging support from city and state leaders.
“Our phase one, 43 story tower, is only about 20 feet taller than the Superman building and includes both residential use and parking, which Superman does not. The proposed 33 story tower would actually be shorter than the Superman (420’) and Hospital Trust (413’) buildings and about 40 feet shorter than The Residences (380’),” said architect Sol Wassermuhl, whose global architecture and design firm IBI Group designed the Hope Point Towers project.
