Providece Innovation & Design District

Innovation District Park Pavilion

Local Business Engagement

On April 18 2022, the I-195 Redevelopment District and Councilman John Goncalves hosted an information session with local businesses regarding the pavilion. The presentation given by the District and our consultant Agora Partners can be found at this link. 

Architecture & Engineering Finalist Interviews

Four firms have been selected as finalists to provide architecture and engineering services for the Innovation District Park Pavilion. The finalist interviews will take place during the week of February 7th and are open to the public. The public may provide comments for the architect selection advisory group's consideration by Friday, February 18th at 5PM by emailing questions@195district.com. 

During the interviews, firms will make 20-minute presentations followed by Q&A with the architect selection advisory group. Each firm has been asked to address the following questions in their presentations:

  1. Briefly show and describe relevant past projects
  2. Which of your firm’s observations about the project site will inform your initial design explorations?
  3. How does your firm engage with the practice of inclusion and how specifically would this practice be applied to this project?
  4. What specific community engagement strategies do you recommend for this project, given its location and intended use?
  5. How will your interactions with the food vendor inform your design thinking and cost control approach?

The four finalists are:

Background

The Innovation District Park’s Food & Beverage Pavilion (Pavilion) is a proposed approximately 4,000 SF amenity featuring year-round dining, public bathrooms, and a small support space for park operations. The Pavilion is intended to activate the park year-round, serve as an amenity for park users and the surrounding community, and support the Innovation District’s economic development goals.

For further background, please see this link for our presentation from the January, 2022 City of Providence Ward 1 meeting.

Preliminary Timeline

  • Early 2022: architect selection
  • Summer 2022: restaurant operator outreach and selection
  • Spring – Fall 2022: design & community engagement
  • Spring 2023: Break ground
  • Early 2024: Pavilion opening 

FAQ

1.     What is the purpose of the Pavilion?
 
The Pavilion will provide year-round food and beverage concessions to park users and the surrounding community, as well as provide bathrooms for the public, storage space for the park, and a small office for park staff. It will also be an additional revenue stream to support park operations. A permanent food and beverage facility was a key recommendation of the 2019 park operation plan developed by Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, who is best known for their work on New York City’s Bryant Park.
 
2.     Has an operator been selected for the Pavilion?
 
An operator has not been selected for the Pavilion. A request for proposals (RFP) for an operator(s) will be issued later this year. The facility may include sit down and/or take out options and could include more than one food concept or operators within the space. There will be an operator information session in Spring 2022.
 
3.     Who is the architect for a Pavilion?
 
An architect has not yet been selected. A public RFQ was issued in November 2021. Twenty responses were received from both local and national firms. Finalists will be selected in late January 2022 and a final firm will likely be selected in March, 2022.
 
4.     Where will the Pavilion be located within the park?
 
The location of the pavilion will not be finalized until an architect has been hired. The location will consider the viability of the location for restaurant operations, site constraints, and ability to maintain the view corridors to the river identified in the I-195 Redevelopment District Development Plan among other considerations.
 
5.     How large is the Pavilion?
 
While the building is yet to be designed, the pavilion is expected to be approximately 4,000 square feet.
 
6.     How is Pavilion design and construction funded?
 
Funds for the Pavilion were provided by the “Beach, Clean Water, and Green bond” approved by the voters in a special election held in March of 2021.
 
7.     Has this Pavilion been considered for any development locations abutting Park, such as Parcel 14?
 
The Green Bond funds will only permit the District to utilize these funds for infrastructure improvements in the park.
 
8.     What will the community engagement process look like?
 
The community engagement plan will be finalized after the architect is hired.
 
9.     Is the Pavilion subject to the District’s Development Plan?
 
Yes: the pavilion is subject to the District’s zoning (i.e., the Development Plan), including the design review process outlined in the Development Plan.
 
10.  Who are the project team members?
 
The District has hired the following consultants to assist with this project; as noted previously the architect and operator have not yet been selected:

  • Restaurant consultant: Agora Partners, a placemaking consultancy specializing in parks, with an expertise in park food and beverage programming. Lead principal was primary author of (Biederman Redevelopment Ventures) plan for Innovation District Park while at BRV.
  • Owner’s Project Manager: Collier’s Project Leaders, a national comprehensive real estate firm with a Providence office
  • Civil & Environmental Engineer: Fuss & O’Neill, a national engineering firm with a Providence office.

To receive updates related to the park pavilion please email: questions@195district.com or submit your email address at the bottom of this page.