Innovation District Park Pavilion
BACKGROUND
The Providence Innovation District Park Pavilion (Pavilion) is a proposed approximately 4,000-SF amenity featuring year-round dining, public bathrooms, and support space for park operations. The project will also include infrastructure upgrades to the park (e.g., WIFI service, grading and drainage improvements, and electrical upgrades). 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.
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?
The District is currently working on selecting an operator for the food and beverage portion of the future Pavilion. An announcement will be made on the selection in the coming months.
3. Where will the Pavilion be located within the park?
The Pavilion will be located at the confluence of the Ship Street and Elbow Street paths, on the west side of the park. The location was selected after significant site studies undertaken by pavilion architect, Architecture Research Office (ARO) and multiple community meetings. Utile, the District's on-call design consultant, has issued a memo regarding their review of the proposed pavilion location. This memo can be found at this link. A shadow study from ARO related to site selection can be found at the following link.
Pavilion location
4. How large is the Pavilion?
The pavilion is expected to be approximately 4,000 square feet.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. What will the community engagement process look like?
The District and ARO hosted multiple community meetings some of which are noted below. A survey was also circulated which garnered over 120 responses. Future community engagement events will be held as the project progresses.
8. 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.
9. Who are the project team members?
The District has hired the following consultants to assist with this project; the operator has not yet been selected:
- Architecture & Engineering Services: Architect Research Office (ARO), an award-winning firm with significant experience designing park pavilions. A press release regarding the selection of ARO can be found at this link.
- Landscape Architect: Agency Landscape + Planning is serving as the landscape architect as a sub-consultant to ARO.
- Restaurant consultant: Agora Partners, a placemaking consultancy specializing in parks, with an expertise in park food and beverage programming. The lead principal was primary author of the Biederman Redevelopment Ventures (BRV) 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.
PRELIMINARY TIMELINE
- Early 2022: architect selection
- Winter 2022/2023: restaurant operator outreach and selection
- Summer 2022 – Fall 2023: design & community engagement
- Winter 2023/2024: Break ground
- Early 2025: Pavilion opening
PREVIOUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
- April 18 2022: Councilman John Goncalves and District staff 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.
- June 16, 2022: Architecture Research Office (ARO) and District staff hosted a public event in the park to kick-off the design of the food and beverage Pavilion. Community members participated in various interactive activities, spoke directly with the project architects and District staff, and submitted surveys with their thoughts about both the park and future Pavilion. Over 120 surveys were collected.
- August 17, 2022: Architecture Research Office (ARO) presented to the Commission regarding their work to date, particularly their investigation of potential siting for the Pavilion . This presentation can be found at this link.
- August 18, 2022: An information session was held for restauranteurs interested in operating food and beverage service in the Pavilion. It was an informal, drop-in event in the park that was open to the public but targeted at interested operators.
- October 11, 2022: A community meeting was held to discuss Pavilion siting and preliminary design direction. The event consisted of a walking tour with stops throughout the park, and provided a forum for discussion between the public, the project architect (ARO), the District's design consultant (Utile), and District staff. A handout from this meeting can be found at this link.
- November 1, 2022: a virtual meeting was held to discuss opportunities to operate the food service portions of the Pavilion.
In addition to these meetings, over the past several years District staff have also presented the project to numerous community groups and other stakeholders, including Ward 1 and the Fox Point Neighborhood Association.
To receive updates related to the park Pavilion please email: questions@195district.com or submit your email address at the bottom of this page.