Forgotten Providence

Profoundly unsecured, primarily because it is missing exterior walls. Once a corner market of some kind.

 
Big old dis-used industrial mill-type building. Sure could think of a lot better ways to use this space than letting is sit around like this.

361 West Fountain - West End

This building used to be an auto training school and the Southest Asian Youth Center. It says it’s “available” from realtor Joseph Martino. 

1107 Westminster - West End

1107 Westminster Street - West End

No windows left, totally boarded up. A banner on the side of the building states that live/work condos are “coming in 2004″, but a worker at the body shop behind the building says “It’s been like this for 15-20 years!”. Property card # 032-0050-0000

This house is in the Valley neighborhood which has been hit pretty hard. The house looks to have been bought by Homesale Inc. January for $62584 and then resold to another person at Homesale Inc. in March for 25K. Not really sure what that’s all about. I tried to look up info on Homesale Inc. and couldn’t find much. I guess they are now owned by JP Morgan after they were sold by Fremont Investments.

Might be the only time we overlap with Art in Ruins. Building has looked like this for over two years.

The 100 year old former Grove Elementary school sat vacant for over 30 years before illegal demolition work began in February of 2007. Privately owned, the school has been passed down among family members owning an adjacent funeral home. The family wanted to expand their parking lot. The city of Providence and the National Historic Register thought otherwise.

Daniel offers this sound piece of advice:

I am personally a little bothered that the only factors in favor of preservation are (1) it’s a lovely building and (2) it could be turned into condos.

The “it would be great for condos” argument is why 95 Grove St. lands here on Forgotten Providence.

The pending demolition is still tied up in courts, but it’s likely too much damage has been done to save the structure intact. Regardless of preservation efforts, the building needs to come down. It was an eye sore for the residential neighborhood surrounding before, and certainly is now.

In lieu of building preservation, or a parking lot, the site would make an apt candidate for several multi-family homes; specifically where low-income housing is needed.

Built in 1880-81, this is the original AT Cross pen factory. I’m told it’s also been a plating shop, and also, very very vacant.

A new owner has put on a new roof and was *allegedly denied a liquor license by the city.