Tag: Needs History

A simple art-deco-inspired mid-century storefront in Federal Hill demolished for the promise of a new hotel.

A former clothing store built off the north side of Sears that stayed empty for years and years before being razed in 2009.

A local-chain tire and automotive parts outlet with four car-wide drive-through bays on a local retail corridor.

Originally located along N. Main & Canal Sts., across from Roger Williams Park, Providence, the last meat-packing plant survived for about 50 years

A pair of turn-of-the-20th century buildings in use for commercial and automobile-related businesses with one being converted into apartments

A neighborhood battle and a prolonged redevelopment took down Clark’s to replace it with mixed-use residential and commercial space

A small summer-time location offering shakes, cold drinks. and ice cream along the East Bay Bike Path

Brilliant — park your car on top, bowl below. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t hip enough to survive waning interest before bowling made a resurgence

A low-slung, semi-circular mid-century modern transportation hub in downtown Providence.

A set of builings to support beachgoers deemed unfit and unsafe due to repeated ocean storms that have been increasing in intensity

A pair of auto-centric businesses constructed as the “new” highway was carved through Providence in the 50s/60s.

This cinder block building with a residential looking store facade slapped on it stood vacant for many years before demolition. Part of the way commercial retail comes and goes.

A very early fire station was repurposed as commercial space and a twin building was built next door

A non-descript downtown commercial building probably faced with enamel and steel details in the 1950s. Razed in 2005 for a condomuium tower that was never built

The littlest building in downtown (not including parking lot shelters) that was once home to small coffee shops.

A group of three unexciting buildings have been razed to make way for an undetermined future development

A mid-century modern complex built in the late 60s/early 70s for Bulova Watch and then occupied by General Electric for about 20 years.

A conglomeration of possibly six 1 to 3 story structures bounded by Westminster, Union, and Weybosset Streets razed in 2005 for a proposed parking garage

A mid-century housing complex that survived the blast intended to take it down.

A sweet little simple Art Deco brick gas station in the middle of the Hope Street commercial district. Probably contaminated and hard to subdivide, so it came down.

A local scooter sales and repair shop with a side of delicious expresso drinks

A complex of one- and two-story buildings used for upholstery fabric distribution and manufacture for over 90 years

A family-owned party supply, costume, and novelty store operating since the early 1980s. Closed in 2005 and burned in 2011.

A rather small commercial storefront that was a branch bank for some time but abandoned for many years before eventual demolition.

A late 90s/early 2000s conversion of a small mill with new addition on North Main Street into luxury condos

A neo-Georgian building that was home to the original home to the Providence National Bank Company. Razed for a proposed hotel that was never built.

This 60 year-old Art Deco structure was vacated in 2000 for new digs across the highway. It stayed vacant for 6 years until a proposed condo structure took it down.

A simple mid-century industrial building used for jewelry industry purposes over the past 50 years razed in 2011 for speculative purposes

An unassuming single story commercial property razed for the Walgreens and condos at 333 Atwells Ave.

A boarded-up retail space along a retail corridor in need of rethinking

One of the last big box stores on North Main Street, closed since the mid-to-late 90s. Demolished in 2014 to become infill for a parking lot.

A modest turn-of-the-century three story mill in a dense mill area of Pawtucket

A low set of one-story buildings built into a hill along Valley Street have been razed for… something, we’re not sure

A nice, simple early 20th century building on a busy commercial corridor with some subtle Art Deco details

A small mercantile-style building razed for a never-built Sierra Suites Hotel in 2008. This building housed a few well-loved storefronts — New Japan, Cuban Revolution, and the Talk of the Town bar.

A turn-of-the-20th-century former funeral home will be demolished for a new apartment building on the edge of Wayland Square

The former home of three different radio stations left to rot for almost 20 years.

A sweet and spare little gas and service station formerly on Eddy Street. Love the painted transom sign.