Tag Archives: Blackstone Boulevard

Needless fold on Blackstone

It looks as if the mansion and the even lovelier caretaker’s cottage at the Beresford-Nicholson estate on Blackstone Boulevard may be coming down. The developer, the Bilotti Group, brought to Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, as requested, a concept to subdivide the … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Development, Providence | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Meanwhile, on Blackstone

A third effort to transform a historic Providence estate into a collection of big cheesy houses has emerged along Blackstone Boulevard. Readers will recall when neighborhood opposition in 2014 thwarted a division of the Granoff estate into ten lots, at … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Development | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Bodell estate shenanigans

So, a little dip into the tall grass of small development. Question of the day: Where is the line between a major and a minor property subdivision? On Tuesday night there was again no quorum at the City Plan Commission … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Providence | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bodell subdivide on Tuesday

Just a reminder that the City Plan Commission is scheduled to have the proposed subdivision of the Bodell estate on its agenda this coming Tuesday at 4:45 p.m., at the planning department on 444 Westminster Street. The address of the … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Providence | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The next Blackstone battle?

The headline refers to the failed effort, in 2014, to divide up the Granoff estate. The property behind it, 25 Balton Rd., has the same dark cloud gathering over it. Many people are familiar with the Bodell mansion from having … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Providence | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Roses and raspberries, 2015

If the objective were to build beauty, the past year has served Providence poorly. Since the fault is mainly in the office of the new governor, Gina Raimondo, Providence’s mayor, Jorge Elorza, can be absolved of some of the blame, … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Blast from past, Development, Preservation, Providence, Providence Journal, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Blackstone rebuffs bumps

Joan Slafsky sent me word this morning of a response by the city to the neighborhood’s expression of unified dismay at its plan to put speed bumps on Blackstone Boulevard. Here is part of the city’s letter: The City Traffic … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Development, Landscape Architecture, Preservation, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Speed bumps on Blackstone?

Speed bumps punish the innocent for the sins of the guilty. Most people do not speed down Blackstone Boulevard. I know. I’ve been behind many of them in my time. People who obey the law are the ones who suffer … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Landscape Architecture, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Landmark the neighbors

Many Providence residents live on beautiful streets lined with houses built before ugly architecture became almost mandatory. Few neighborhoods are dominated by midcentury modern houses, although some jackanapes might even argue that they qualify as historic. Historic, perhaps, if the … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Development, Preservation, Providence, Uncategorized, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blackstone blitzkrieg

The Granoff proposal to split their land at Blackstone Boulevard and Rochambeau Avenue up into 12 lots (the two largest would include their fine old house built in 1915 and owned by the Granoffs since the ’60s) was rejected by … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Development, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments