Above: Site plan for proposed redevelopment of the Citizens Bank Building and adjoining land parcels
Join in the fight for public process and appropriate redevelopment of the Citizens Bank Building & Canonicus Square gateway that will serve our neighborhoods and city for years to come.
Canonicus Square is home to the former Citizens Bank Building, vacated last year, at the intersection of Westminster and Cranston Streets
WBNA is coming together with neighbors and abutters, business owners, and the Providence Preservation Society to fight a City Plan Commission (CPC) decision granting preliminary approval to The Omni Group for its proposed redevelopment of the former Citizens Bank Building and five adjacent lots at Canonicus Square.
On March 11, the Zoning Board of Review will hear a legal appeal of the CPC’s December 2019 decision brought forward by community stakeholders that include local developers, a lifelong neighbor who lives across from the properties, and advocacy groups among others. WBNA and this coalition began to organize and seek legal action after a deeply concerning city process and the absence of opportunity for community engagement on the project.
This group of properties – in both size and location – make up one of the most significant areas of developable land in our neighborhood. Help us stand up for authentic public process and good development that best serves the long-term health and viability of our neighborhoods. What gets built at this location will impact our neighborhood, for better or worse, for many decades to come.
the why
Canonicus Square, which sits at the intersection of Cranston and Westminster Streets, is a critical gateway to the West End and Federal Hill neighborhoods, and represents a once-in-a-century opportunity to rebuild a vibrant “main street” district that could fuel economic vitality, provide services and jobs to neighbors, and increase much-needed housing. Streetscapes built using proven urban design practices can sustain the health of cities and neighborhoods for the long haul.
Why a well-built streetscape matters
The long-term success and health of cities and neighborhoods depend on proven best practices in urban planning, like mixed-use development, ground floor retail, and appropriate density.
Canonicus Square (historically Hoyle Square, above) was a hub of commercial activity that supported residents with jobs & services, activating the streetscape as a vibrant place to live & work.
But the positive potential of this historically and geographically important area of land is currently under threat by The Omni Group’s inappropriate development plan for the site. As presented, Omni’s proposal is ill-fitting to the site’s urban context, disregards the community and its input, and ignores best practices for urban development on commercial corridors (aka “main streets”) and most egregiously on Cranston Street.
In addition, a promised public meeting about the development has still not been rescheduled, in spite of the City Plan Commission’s requirement of the developers to present their plans to the community.
Providence Preservation Society, an active participant in appealing the CPC’s decision, has recognized the importance of and threat to this tract of properties by including Citizens Bank and its adjacent lots on its 2020 Most Endangered Properties List.
Our Concerns
Development should include mixed use with ground floor commercial along Westminster and Cranston Streets, and 3 stories of housing above, in alignment with best practices and zoning/legal regulations
We are in a well-acknowledged housing crisis. Proposed development includes no affordable housing, and does not build to the density that is site appropriate
Developer successfully sought three waivers from the CPC without proof that they were needed. A required market study, for example, would have reflected the high need for retail and restaurant space in this area of the neighborhood
Project does not comply with a City Ordinance passed last year requiring ground floor commercial use on Westminster Street. Project also does not create continuous and extended coverage on Cranston & Westminster Streets, which ignores best urban development practices
Developers received the City Plan Commission’s Preliminary Plan approval on the condition that they meet with the community in a public forum. To date, the public meeting, originally scheduled for January 25 but then cancelled, still has not happened or been rescheduled. Additionally, a requirement to meet with community members after the CPC’s approval negates any leverage and minimizes opportunities for meaningful input & improvement
Project is a "major" land development comprised of multiple contiguous lots, but is being deemed "minor." This official designation negates the requirement for informing direct abuttors & reduces the amount of approvals needed from the City Plan Commission
Proposed development does not comply with numerous city and neighborhood endorsed plans written over the past 3 decades
Planning Department staff recommended the City Plan Commissioners to approve the project. This recommendation creates a loss of public trust
Once-in-a-century opportunity
A development opportunity like this is rare, and holds the potential to realize a vision that has been written into Neighborhood and Comprehensive Plans since 1992, including reconnecting the neighborhoods to downtown, creating a robust gateway to Federal Hill and the West End, and rebuilding the neighborhood’s commercial corridors with responsive and human-scale streetscapes – an effort WBNA has tackled since its founding 35+ years ago.
Let’s not let anyone or any entity – public or private – squander this opportunity for our neighborhoods and city. Waging a legal appeal by a qualified land use attorney requires financial commitment. Please support this effort to stop inappropriate development at this important neighborhood and city site by making a donation to our Legal Defense Fund, and by showing up in support of our appeal at the March 11 Zoning Board meeting, 7pm at 444 Westminster, 1st floor!
We welcome more signers! If you would like to sign on to the appeal against the CPC’s decision to approve this inappropriate development, contact wbna@wbna.org and put “Citizens Bank” in the subject line.
