Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island
Encyclopedia
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. It is bounded on the east by Canal Street and the Providence River
Providence River
thumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles...
, to the north by Smith Street, to the west by Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Rhode Island
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly through Warwick and Providence and to the Massachusetts state line...
, and to the south by Henderson Street. I-95
Interstate 95 in Rhode Island
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly through Warwick and Providence and to the Massachusetts state line...
serves as a physical barrier between the city's commercial core and neighborhoods of Federal Hill, West End
West End, Providence, Rhode Island
The West End is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of Providence, Rhode Island in the region often referred to as the South Side. Its boundaries are delineated by Westminster Street to the north, Huntington Avenue to the south, Elmwood Avenue to the east and the railroad tracks with Route 10...
, and Upper South Providence
Upper South Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
Upper South Providence is an official neighborhood in the South Side in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bound to the north by Interstate 95, the east by the Providence River, to the south by Public Street, and the west by Broad Street...
.
History
Originally known as 'Weybossett Neck' or 'Weybossett Side,' Downtown was first settled by religious dissidents from the First Congregational Society in 1746. Their settlement was located near present-day Westminster Street.Downtown did not witness substantial development until the early 19th century, when Providence began to compete with Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. British forces had destroyed much of Newport during the American War for Independence
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, making the city's merchants vulnerable to competition from Providence. This prevented the development of a commercial district along the western bank of the Providence River.
During the industrialization of the late 19th century, an ever-expanding railroad industry emanating from Union Station
Union Station (Providence)
Union Station describes two distinct defunct train stations in Providence, Rhode Island.The original Union Station was Providence's first, opening in 1847 to accommodate the needs of the newly thriving city. It was considered "a brilliant example of Romanesque architecture" in its time, and the...
, eventually resulted in the complete paving over of the Great Salt Cove and the two branches of the Providence River
Providence River
thumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles...
. The result of decades of expansion was the isolation of the state capitol
Rhode Island State House
The Rhode Island State House is the capitol of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is located on the border of the Downtown and Smith Hill sections of the state capital city of Providence...
from the rest of downtown by an imposing mass of railroad tracks, often called locally the "Chinese Wall". As rail traffic dropped off, 75 percent by 1980, city planners saw an opportunity to open up central land for development and unify downtown with the Capitol. A new, smaller train station
Providence (Amtrak station)
Providence Station is a railroad station in Providence, Rhode Island and is served by Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . The station has four tracks for passenger service, with a fifth track passing through for Providence and Worcester Railroad freight trains...
was built in 1986 a half mile north of its predecessor, and tracks were removed or routed underground.
The new land precipitated a massive remaking of the character of the city's downtown. From 1975 until 1982, under Mayor Vincent Cianci, Jr, $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
606 million of local and national Community Development funds from were invested. Roads were removed and the city's natural rivers were opened up and lined with a cobblestone-paved park called Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park
Waterplace Park is an urban park situated along the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Finished in 1994, Waterplace Park is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk. Venice-styled Pedestrian bridges cross the...
in 1994, which is now host to popular WaterFire
WaterFire
WaterFire is the award-winning sculpture by Barnaby Evans presented on the rivers of downtown Providence, RI.First created by Evans in 1994 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of First Night Providence, WaterFire has grown to become an annual public art phenomenon.WaterFire is simultaneously a free...
festivals. Private and public developments followed and the new area adjacent to the Capitol became known as Capitol Center.
Ushered in by the construction of the new train station (1986), the development of the new land brought new buildings: The Gateway Building (1990), One Citizens Plaza
One Citizens Plaza
One Citizens Plaza is a 13-story office building in Providence, Rhode Island situated at the confluence of the Moshassuck and Woonasquatucket Rivers. It is the headquarters of Citizens Bank...
(1991), Center Place (1992), a Westin hotel
The Westin Providence
The Westin Providence is a Neo-Traditionalist skyscraper in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, occupied by the Westin Hotel. At , it became the fourth-tallest building in the city and the state on on 15 February 2007, when the nearby slightly taller Residences at the Westin topped out...
and Providence Convention Center (1993), Providence Place Mall (1999), Courtyard Marriott (2000), GTECH headquarters (2006), The Residences at the Westin
The Residences at the Westin
The Residences Providence is a recently completed high-rise residential project in downtown Providence, Rhode Island designed by TRO Jung Brannen and developed by The Procaccianti Group. It is situated adjacent to The Providence, a 25-floor hotel with similar fenestration and styling. The...
(2007), Waterplace
Waterplace
Waterplace is the name of a high-rise residential condominium project in Providence, Rhode Island. The project completed construction in mid-2008, and was developed by Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation....
condominiums (2007), and Capitol Cove still under construction.
In 2007, the Renaissance Providence Hotel opened in Masonic Temple building, which had been abandoned amidst the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
a half century prior.
Demographics
According to the Providence Plan, a local nonprofit aimed at improving city life, 64% of residents are white and 8.6% are Asian, both above the city-wide averages of 54.4% and 6.2% respectively. 12% of the population is African-American, 11% is HispanicHispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, and 1% is Native-American. 43% of public school children speak a language other than English as their primary language.
The median family income is $42,558, over $10,000 above the city-wide average. 14% of families live below the poverty-line while nearly 3.7% receive some form of public assistance.
15% of children under the age of six have been exposed to high quantities of lead.
Government
From north to south, Downtown includes portions of Wards 12, 13, 11. These wards are represented in the Providence City CouncilProvidence City Council
The Providence City Council is the fifteen-member legislative body of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. The two major responsibilities of the council are enacting ordinances necessary to ensure the welfare and good order of the city and adopting the city's annual budget...
by Terrance Hassett, John J. Lombardi
John J. Lombardi
John Lombardi is an American Democratic politician from Providence, Rhode Island. As President of the Providence City Council, he served as Acting Mayor for four months between the conviction of Buddy Cianci and the election of David Cicilline....
, and Balbina A. Young. All three councillors are Democrats. Hassett currently serves as the majority leader.
Providence City Hall is located at 25 Dorrance Street, at the corner of Dorrance and Washington Street. It is immediately next to Kennedy Plaza and the Biltmore Hotel. It houses the City Council, the Mayor's Office, and the offices of some municipal agencies.
The Rhode Island State House
Rhode Island State House
The Rhode Island State House is the capitol of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is located on the border of the Downtown and Smith Hill sections of the state capital city of Providence...
is located on Smith Street at the northern edge of Downtown. It includes the chambers of the Rhode Island General Assembly
Rhode Island General Assembly
The State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
and the Governor's Office.
The Rhode Island Department of Education is headquartered in the Shephard Building at 255 Westminster Street.
Universities
Various universities have facilities in Downtown Providence. These include:- Brown UniversityBrown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
has recently bought several properties in the Jewelry District.
- Johnson & Wales UniversityJohnson & Wales UniversityJohnson & Wales University is a private, nonprofit, co-educational, career-oriented university with four campuses located throughout the United States. Providence, Rhode Island, USA, is home to JWU's first and largest of four currently operating campuses. Founded as a business school in 1914, by...
has is central and largest campus in Downtown. This campus includes JWs business and technologies schools and its The Hospitality College.
- The Rhode Island School of DesignRhode Island School of DesignRhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
(RISD), though centered along the western slope of College HillCollege Hill, Providence, Rhode IslandCollege Hill is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island, and one of six neighborhoods comprising the East Side of Providence and part of College Hill Historic District. It is roughly bounded by North Main Street to the west, Power Street to the south, Governor Street and Arlington Avenue to...
, has extensive facilities in Downtown. These include the RISD Library, founded in 1878. It is located at 15 Westminster Street.
- Roger Williams UniversityRoger Williams UniversityRoger Williams University, commonly abbreviated as RWU, is a private, coeducational American liberal arts university located on in Bristol, Rhode Island, above Mt. Hope Bay. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams...
includes a small campus in Downtown.
- The University of Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode IslandThe University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
's Feinstein Providence campus is centered at 80 Washington Street with other facilities in the Shepherd building. The program is named for Rhode Island philanthropistPhilanthropistA philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
Alan Shawn Feinstein.
Sports
The Providence BruinsProvidence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
and the Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
Friars men's basketball team play out of the Dunkin' Donuts Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center
The Dunkin' Donuts Center , is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States...
(formerly the Providence Civic Center) at 1 LaSalle Square.
Arts
As part of the revitalization of Providence, the administrations of Mayors Vincent CianciVincent Cianci
Vincent Albert "Buddy" Cianci, Jr. served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002...
and David Cicilline
David Cicilline
David Nicola Cicilline is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is formerly the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and was the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.-Early life, education, and career:...
have promoted Providence, especially Downtown, as an artistic center. WaterFire has become perhaps the most visible symbol of Providence's development into an artistic center. Waterfire is an environmental art event created by Barnaby Evans
Barnaby Evans
Barnaby Evans is an artist who works in many media including site-specific sculpture installations, photography, film, garden design, architectural projects, writing and conceptual works...
that includes bon fires, gondolas, and music. This event has become a major attraction for both Rhode Islanders and tourists.
Downtown includes two centers for the performing arts, the Providence Performing Arts Center and Trinity Repertory Company
Trinity Repertory Company
Trinity Repertory Company is a non-profit regional theater located in Providence, Rhode Island. The theater is a member of the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1963, the theater is "one of the most respected regional theatres in the country"...
.
Downtown is also home to AS220
AS220
AS220 is a non-profit community arts center located at 115 Empire Street in Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. AS220 maintains 19 artist live/work studios, 4 galleries, a performance space, a community darkroom, and The Broad Street Studio. The mission is to provide a forum and home for the...
, a non-profit community arts center that includes nineteen artist live/work studios, four galleries, a performance space, and a community darkroom.
Architecture
Downtown Providence has numerous 19th-century mercantile buildings in the Federal and Victorian architectural styles, as well as several post-modern and modernist buildings that are located throughout this area. In particular, a fairly clear spatial separation appears between the areas of pre-1980s development and post-1980s development. Fountain Street and Exchange Terrace serve as rough boundaries between the two.Parks
- Burnside Park is located adjacent to Kennedy PlazaKennedy PlazaKennedy Plaza is a transportation hub in downtown Providence, Rhode Island next to the Providence City Hall and Providence Federal Building. It serves as the nexus of the state's conventional-bus and trolley-replica bus public transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority , as...
. At its center is an equestrian statue of American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
general, Rhode Island governor, United States Senator Ambrose BurnsideAmbrose BurnsideAmbrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
. Adjacent to the park is an outdoor ice skatingIce skatingIce skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
rink, the Fleet Skating Center.
- Waterplace ParkWaterplace ParkWaterplace Park is an urban park situated along the Woonasquatucket River in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Finished in 1994, Waterplace Park is connected to 3/4 mile of cobblestone-paved pedestrian walkways along the waterfront known as Riverwalk. Venice-styled Pedestrian bridges cross the...
extends from the Great Salt Cove to the Riverwalk along the Providence RiverProvidence Riverthumb|The city of Providence as seen from the Providence River at its confluence with the Narragansett BayThe Providence River is a tidal river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows approximately 8 miles...
. The park hosts WaterFire festivals.
- Station Park, a green space adjacent to the Providence Amtrak StationProvidence (Amtrak station)Providence Station is a railroad station in Providence, Rhode Island and is served by Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . The station has four tracks for passenger service, with a fifth track passing through for Providence and Worcester Railroad freight trains...
.
In addition, Veterans Memorial Park and Market Square, along the border between Downtown and College Hill, are sometimes counted as Downtown parks.
Central Downtown
Bank of America Tower (Providence)
The Bank of America Building is the tallest building in the city of Providence and the state of Rhode Island, and the 28th tallest in New England. Standing at and comprising 26 floors, it was the third tallest building in New England when completed, behind the Travelers Tower in Hartford, CT and...
at 426 feet (130 m). By contrast, nearby to it is the second tallest One Financial Center
Sovereign Bank Tower (Providence)
One Financial Plaza, also known as the Sovereign Bank Tower and formerly known as the Hospital Trust Tower, is an international-style skyscraper in the heart of downtown Providence, Rhode Island....
(Sovereign Bank Tower), designed in modern taut-skin cladding, constructed a half century later. In between the two is 50 Kennedy Plaza
50 Kennedy Plaza
50 Kennedy Plaza is a Postmodern skyscraper in Providence, Rhode Island. At a height of , it is currently the sixth-tallest building in the city and state. The building is named for Kennedy Plaza, which it abuts....
. The Textron Tower
Textron Tower
The Textron Tower, formerly the Old Stone Tower, is an International-style skyscraper in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It is the world headquarters of Textron.At , it stands as the 5th-tallest building in the city and the state...
is another core building in the Providence skyline. Downtown is also the home of the Providence Biltmore
Providence Biltmore
The Providence Biltmore Hotel is an upscale hotel that opened in 1922 as part of the Biltmore Hotel chain. It was founded by John McEntee Bowman and Louis Wallick, and is currently owned by Grand Heritage Hotels International...
hotel and the Westminster Arcade
Westminster Arcade
The Westminster Arcade or Providence Arcade was a historic shopping center in Providence, Rhode Island. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in the United States, built in 1828...
, the oldest enclosed shopping mall in the U.S., built in 1828.
Kennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza
Kennedy Plaza is a transportation hub in downtown Providence, Rhode Island next to the Providence City Hall and Providence Federal Building. It serves as the nexus of the state's conventional-bus and trolley-replica bus public transit services operated by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority , as...
is a major business and transportation hub. Surrounding the plaza are Providence City Hall, Burnside Park, the Bank of America Building, One Financial Center, 50 Kennedy Plaza, and the US District Court building. The plaza itself includes the central station for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
Rhode Island Public Transit Authority
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island...
(RIPTA) and a police substation.
See also
- Jewelry DistrictJewelry District, Providence, Rhode IslandThe Jewelry District is a neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island located just south of Downtown between Interstate 195 and Henderson Street. Interstate 95 lies at the western edge of the neighborhood, which includes Davol Square and the waterfront along the west bank of the Providence River...
, a region sometimes associated with downtown.