Originally published on wpri.com, January 24, 2013

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – The Providence Arcade’s micro-loft designs are going to be featured in an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York .

“Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers” runs January 23 – September 15, 2013

The exhibit also presents winning designs from the Bloomberg administration’s recently launched pilot competition to test new housing models, as well as examples set by other cities including Seattle, Montreal, San Diego, and Tokyo.  

The Arcade was built in 1828 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976. The building closed in 2008 because of the poor economy.

Last year, developers announced a plan to transform the top two floors into 48 micro-lofts, mostly studio spaces with an average of 225-450 square feet.

They’re priced starting at $550 a month and developers say there’s already a waiting list.

The ground level of the 180-year old building will hold three restaurants and a dozen new shops

The small, efficient, and affordable living spaces are designed to attract city dwellers and inject energy into Providence’s downtown.  

The Arcade is expected to open this spring.

PROVIDENCE –The Arcade in Providence, the oldest indoor shopping mall in the U.S., is undergoing a major renovation.

Work is under way converting the second and third floors, which had been retail spaces, into micro lofts, 225 to 300 square-foot apartments with built-in furniture. The rent for the apartments will start at $550 a month.

“I saw the opportunity for all these people who are graduating and looking for a place to live that’s affordable,” said Evan Granoff, Arcade owner and developer.

The first floor retail space will remain 17 spaces at nearly 400 square feet, each renting at $1,000 per month.

Granoff said the Arcade will continue its tradition of being the oldest running indoor mall in the country.

“Style fashion area, so clothing stores, jewelry and accessories,” he said.

Add in three stand-alone, first-floor restaurants with outside access and you have new life for the historic structure and for downtown Providence.

“If you move to this building, you’re going to get to know people,” Granoff said.

As far as Granoff knows, it’s the first-of-its-kind micro loft and micro retail space in the country.

“Just a great place to live or just to start out,” he said.

Granoff said renovation is on track to be completed by the spring.

Once upon a time, Providence’s Westminster Arcade represented a novel idea: an indoor shopping mall where customers could find a variety of merchants under one roof. But that was in the 1820s, long before the Mall of America, Mallrats, mall cops, mall food, mall concerts, and a literary style dubbed “shopping mall realism.” So what is Evan Granoff — head of 130 Westminster Street Associates, the group spearheading the Arcade’s re-development — talking about when he says, “It’s not easy . . . being a pioneer”? Well, he’s talking about making America’s oldest mall micro.

“Micro-retail, micro-retail, micro-retail,” he says, standing on the first floor of the Arcade and pointing to color-coded spaces on a nearby floor plan. “All this is micro-retail.” With power drills whining, hammers thunking, and a fine mist of sawdust intermittently falling from above, he explains how micro-retailers are different from the chain stores at a traditional mall. Sized under 400 square feet, the 16 units on the Arcade’s ground floor are about half the size of most of Providence’s retail spaces — and smaller than many of the spaces that existed in the old Arcade.

He whisks me around the first floor of the building — past the future entrance for the building’s bike garage (the first in Providence, he says), past a former pizza joint with a dust-covered oven marked “SAVE” still inside, and into a bare retail unit near the Westminster Street entrance. Daylight pours in from a pair of newly installed windows on the unit’s back wall — two of the 170 Granoff has installed along the sides of the Arcade. Monthly rent for a retail space like this is $1000, he says. Add a security deposit and some cash for distinctive decoration, and a typical business can start for less than $5000. “That’s incredibly empowering,” he says. He won’t divulge specific vendor names (those will be rolled out one by one, starting next month), but a space like this might include an artisan furniture designer or an Internet-based jeweler venturing into brick-and-mortar business for the first time.

And when they open their doors, these stores will have an added boost: a live-in customer base, thanks to Arcade 2.0′s other new concept: “micro-loft” apartments on the building’s second and third floors. Starting at 225 square feet, the units are geared toward young professionals, locals who commute to Boston, and anyone with an itch for a $550/month pied-à-terre in one of Providence’s most iconic buildings.

The apartments — 48, in total — seem a radical idea, at first glance. But when Granoff’s plans for a skyscraper next door fell through and the “Superman” building across the street remained under-populated, it seemed unlikely that the immediate environs would provide enough foot traffic to sustain an all-retail Arcade.

Now, the building’s former galleries and clothing boutiques shops have been re-designed and equipped with refrigerators, dishwashers, flat-screen TVs, and other fixtures. “This is like a cruise ship or a boat cabin, where everything is being built into the unit,” Granoff says, proudly flipping down a Murphy bed from one of the walls. If you moved into the unit, you could bring your clothes and nothing else. “It’s totally ready to roll,” he says.

Originally published on wpri.com, August 24, 2012

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – A downtown Providence landmark could soon be back in business.

Developers say several retail shops and restaurants could move into the renovated Providence Arcade by the end of September. 

Construction crews have been hard at work renovating the country’s oldest indoor mall into a so-called “micro-retail” and “micro-loft” space.

The first floor will include 14 small retail shops and four restaurants.  Those spaces should be move-in ready by the end of next month.  There was no word Monday on which retailers were planning on moving in.

The second and third floors will contain 48 “micro-lofts,” most of which will be between 225 and 270 square feet and include built-in furniture.  Developers say there is already a lot of interest in the “micro-lofts.”

“We have a waiting list that’s twice as large as the number of units we have to rent,” says Evan Granoff, manager of 130 Westminster Associates.

Leases for the “micro-lofts” will begin February 1st.

Can what’s old really become new again?

Evan Granoff, owner of The Arcade Providence, thinks so and aims to prove himself, as well as those behind him in the effort, right when the building’s transformation – from a vacant reminder of its former glory as a city centerpiece to an innovator in downtown housing – is completed later this year.

The Arcade, once the nation’s oldest operating indoor shopping mall and, since it was built in 1828 one of the city’s most architecturally renowned buildings, will soon reopen as a micro-loft apartment and retail building.

“It’s a market that hasn’t really been addressed and works in that building very well,” said Granoff, of Granoff Associates LLC. “It was meant to [have] very small units. Keeping it that way is just very natural.”

The Arcade has been empty since June 2008, when Granoff announced it would undergo an $8 million, yearlong renovation to position the building for a better economic future.

(That plan was backed by a 22 percent Historic Preservation Income Tax credit.)

It was around that time that Granoff hired Michael Abbott of Northeast Collaborative Architects LLC, with offices in Newport and Providence, as well as Middletown, Conn., to facilitate the redesign.

Abbott has worked on such well-known projects as the Slater Mill historic renovation in North Smithfield and the Providence Performing Arts Center restoration.

The mixed-used plan was announced last January and immediately heralded by city and state officials and civic leaders as the right move at the right time for downtown.

“It took a while to plan it all out, go through everything, and figure out what we were going to do,” Abbott said. “It’s been rehabbed many times. Micro-lofts was a new idea. Residential up above kicked it over the goal line and got it off the ground.”

When it opens – which Granoff hopes will happen by year’s end – the building will house 48 apartment units on its second and third floors and approximately 14 businesses, including three or four restaurants, on its first floor.

By sticking with small spaces, Abbott said, the building will be in truer form to its original 1828 design than ever.

“It’s allowing us basically to put the building back to what it was when it was built,” he said. “They were individual rooms that were tiny. We’re actually creating more of the streetscape [feel] that was inside.”

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Two landmark buildings in this city’s downtown have been in the news a lot lately, but for decidedly different reasons.

Ryan T. Conaty for The New York Times

The “Superman building,” so called because it resembles the home of Metropolis’s Daily Planet.

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

The Arcade before its $7 million overhaul to residential use began. It was built in 1828 in the Greek Revival style as a market.

The Arcade, an enclosed three-story shopping center that was built in 1828 and is considered by many to be the country’s first shopping mall, is undergoing a $7 million overhaul that includes the creation of 48 residential rental units on the building’s second and third floors.

But another downtown landmark, the 26-story “Superman building,” is about to lose its only tenant, creating concern that a large, vacant office building will hurt the city’s image and drag down an economy that is still struggling to recover from the recession. As illustration, Rhode Island’s unemployment, at roughly 11 percent, is nearly three points higher than the national average.

The Superman building, an Art Deco skyscraper, has defined the city’s skyline since it was built in the late 1920s as the Industrial Trust Building. Located just down the street from the Arcade, it closely resembles the building that Superman soared by in the early television series.

A majority of the apartments in the Arcade will be “micro-lofts” under 300 square feet, a modest size chosen to keep rents affordable for students graduating from Providence’s colleges and universities, said the building’s owner and developer, Evan Granoff. Rents will start at $550 a month and, because the apartments are small, the cost of utilities should be low as well, he said.

The Arcade has always been a commercial building, but Mr. Granoff said converting it to residential use made sense because more people were moving downtown and institutions like Brown University and Johnson & Wales University now played bigger roles in the city’s economy.

There is a waiting list for the apartments, even though the Arcade will not reopen until this fall, he said.

Fourteen small shops are planned for the first floor, which Mr. Granoff hopes will mimic a department store experience for shoppers. Three restaurants will be on the ground floor as well. The design for the renovation respects the Arcade’s original Greek Revival style, but the building will be modernized with double-hung windows to bring in more light, Mr. Granoff said.

“It’s been like a diamond encased in rock,” he said.

The Arcade has been shuttered for the last three years. In that time, the Providence Preservation Society placed it on its list of the city’s 10 most endangered properties. When Mr. Granoff announced plans to reopen the Arcade as a mixed-use development early this year, the news was welcomed by elected officials and civic leaders, who called it an important development for the city’s downtown.

The city entered into a tax stabilization agreement with Mr. Granoff to help make the renovation happen.

“This project breathes new life into America’s oldest indoor mall and one of our city’s most historically significant buildings,” Mayor Angel Taveras said at a news conference in January announcing the renovation.

The Arcade has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971. It is notable not only for its striking architecture, which includes Ionic columns at both entrances to the building, but also for the memories many Rhode Islanders have of strolling through the building.

Like the Arcade, the Superman Building resonates in the emotions of many Rhode Islanders. It is owned by the High Rock Equities Fund I, based in Wellesley, Mass., which bought the building for roughly $33 million four and a half years ago, according to David C. Sweetser, the fund’s founder. At that time, Bank of America was the sole tenant with a 10-year lease and about 350 employees working in the building.

But that lease is expiring in April 2013, and Bank of America has decided not to renew it. The result is a full-court press by the city and state, working with the owners, to find new tenants.

While a sole tenant would be the most convenient option, Mr. Sweetser said several ideas were on the table, including a conversion into a mixed-use high-rise, with garden apartments on the top floors. Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee recently proposed moving state offices into the Superman building, an idea Mr. Sweetser said he would consider.

“I’ve spent a lot of money on this building,” Mr. Sweetser said, “and I’ll spend more.”

“We are excited to launch the Arcade’s website to provide people from near and far with information on the progress of the contruction, as well as the details of the retail and residential opportunities,” Granoff said. ”The site will continue to evolve with the project, so there will always be something new to see.” 

Granoff continued, ”Since the launch of the project, the list of people hoping to live in the micro-lofts has continued to grow and we have received interest from business owners both in and out of state hoping to locate in our city’s downtown. We look forward to working with everyone in Providence to make this project a great success.” 

Website Details

The Arcade Providence website introduces visitors to the project, offers a history of the Arcade, highlights the conveniences and attractions in Providence’s downtown and encourages visitors to join the email list to receive direct updates. The site also allows interested business owners and potential residents to examine the floor plans for the retail spaces and micro-lofts, as well as view specific unit layouts.

By viewing the first floor retail spaces, business owners may select units based on their square footage, their proximity to additional units (in order to create larger spaces), their potential for outdoor seating, and their individual access to the outside in order to provide dining service after the retail shops have closed.

Since the micro-lofts will include built in furniture and storage, potential loft residents will not only view the unit as a whole, but also get a first hand look into the placement of the bed, kitchen and bathroom. Those interested in the lofts may add their names to the micro-loft waiting list by entering their name and the type of unit they desire — one, two or three bedroom — into a contact form on the site.

The Arcade’s website will continue to evolve with the project. For example, as the management team begins to sign leases, the floor plans will be updated to include a color-coding system allowing visitors to see what units have been rented and which remain available.

Following the grand opening of the Arcade Providence, the website will be updated once again to include profiles of each retail shop and restaurant, as well as additional information on micro-loft resident activities and happenings in the Arcade community.

About the Arcade

Built in 1828, the Arcade is the oldest shopping mall in the United States. The building, best known for its former small shops and food-court style eateries, has served as a public passage between Weybosset and Westminster streets since its earliest days. In 1971, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and in 1973, it was named a National Historic Landmark.

On Jan. 25, 2012, more than 200 federal, state and local officials, and businesspeople gathered inside the Arcade’s atrium to witness the unveiling of 130 Westminster Street Associates, LLC’s plans to bring the building back to life through a historic revival. The Arcade Providence project will bring energy into Providence’s downtown by building an Arcade community with retail shops, restaurants and the addition of 48 micro-loft residences. The project will also maintain the building’s historic character and its traditional role as a public passage.  

Visit arcadeprovidence.com.

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Contact: Jennifer Bramley,
Bramley Communications
p. 401.465.2213
e. jenn@bramleycommunications.com

The Providence Journal reported that plans for The Arcade were announced Wednesday by building owner Evan Granoff.

Read more…

The Arcade Providence MicroLofts and New Retail Approach Will Create A New, Energetic Community in the Heart of Downtown

U.S. Senator Reed, Gov. Chafee and Providence Mayor Taveras Join 130 Westminster Street Associates to Unveil Plans to Combine Retail and Residential in the Landmark Building Downtown

Providence, RI: Evan Granoff, manager of 130 Westminster Street Associates, LLC, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras today unveiled new plans for the historic downtown Arcade. With more than 100 business leaders, government officials and downtown merchants gathered inside the Arcade’s center atrium, Granoff announced the landmark building would bring retail and residential opportunities to Providence and create an energetic community in the heart of downtown.

[Show as slideshow]

The Arcade Providence will host retail shops and restaurants on its first level, with more shops than restaurants lining the center atrium. The most exciting update in the Arcade is the addition of 48 micro?lofts, or small efficient living spaces that are a trend in cities in the U.S. and across the globe.

“It will be called The Arcade Providence and it will be a historic revival,” Granoff said after unveilinga banner showcasing the Arcade’s new brand. “This historic revival will create an Arcade community, increase the energy in the heart of downtown, help drive business to surrounding retailers, attract new retail and restaurants, and bring micro?loft residents into downtown to live, eat and shop – and it begins today.”

“The Arcade was among the first malls ever built in America and remains one of the most architecturally stunning. Revitalizing the historic Providence Arcade is a good deal for our state and another example of private?public partnerships helping to generate jobs. This development will open doors for new businesses and help create a thriving community for young entrepreneurs,” said Sen. Reed.

Gov. Chafee said, “The Providence Arcade is a Rhode Island landmark in the heart of our capital city. I am pleased that, following its exciting and innovative redesign, this iconic building will be reopened for both commercial and residential use, injecting new jobs, economic activity, and vibrancy into downtown Providence.”

“The reopening of the Arcade is an exciting development for Providence,” Mayor Taveras said. “This project breathes new life into America’s oldest indoor mall and one of our city’s most historically significant buildings, with a mix of retail, restaurants and affordable housing for young professionals in the heart of downtown Providence.”

Granoff thanked Mayor Taveras and the City Council at the press conference for their foresight in establishing tax stabilization agreements with those who own key properties in the city The Arcade Providence will enter into a tax stabilization agreement with the city of Providence, an agreement that made this project possible.

Although the Arcade will be renovated in the new plans, the renovations will retain the historic integrity of the distinguished building. In fact, the new Arcade will including renovation that restore historic elements to the Arcade, such as the bay windows fronting the shops and the reintroduction of more than 150 double hung windows along the east and west sides of the building.

The Retail

Built in 1828 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, the Arcade is the oldest indoor shopping mall in the nation. The new project will stay true to the Arcade’s history as a retail center, but it will provide 14 new shops and restaurants with a fresh, new look. Rather than the once familiar counter?style establishments filling the hall, the Arcade’s center atrium will be lined with more retail shops than restaurants, and the three dine?in restaurants will include one with outdoor cafe seating. The restaurants will have outside access with private entrances so they can remain open after the Arcade’s retail floor closes at 9 p.m.

The Arcade’s retail stores will be renovated to include windows on the outside of their stores and bay windows in the center hall, allowing business owners to promote their products. Some stores will features stairs to the basement level, providing two levels of retail space for their patrons.

The Residential

The second and third levels of the Arcade will be home to 48 micro?lofts. Those who work and create in cities, enjoy an urban lifestyle, and hope to live in the city’s center, are attracted to the small, environmentally friendly spaces that come at an affordable price. The micro?loft spaces tend to attract a mix of residents including young professionals, entrepreneurs and established businesspeople that live elsewhere and travel frequently to the city.

The micro?lofts in The Arcade Providence will be an average of 225?270 square feet. Ten larger two and three bedroom micro?lofts will also be available. Inside their lofts, residents will have a full bath and built?in beds, storage and seating areas. The micro?lofts also have a kitchen with a nearly full?sized refrigerator, a sink, dishwasher and microwave – a kitchen that fits in with the lifestyle of those who cook simply or often eat out.

Downstairs, there will be common spaces for residents including a lounge with couches and a flat screen TV, and a game room. Residents will have onsite laundry, lockable storage, and a bike room. Residents riding a bike will use the Arcade’s bike ramp to enter the building.

As downtown residents, those living in micro?lofts will enjoy access to arts and culture, theater, shops and restaurants, movie houses and public transportation via train or bus, all within a short walk.

The Arcade Providence micro?lofts are priced starting at an affordable $550 per month, including utilities. The new Arcade concept will be a 24?7 operation, as opposed to a 10?2 lunch operation, providing more activity in the financial district – a positive change for an area of the city that sees much of its activity die down after 5 p.m.

“We will bring a modern concept to a historic building and in doing so, will both preserve its historical integrity and make it economically viable,” said Granoff. The project will break ground this winter, be completed by August and opened in the Fall of this year.

Contact: Jennifer Bramley,
Bramley Communications
p. 401.465.2213
e. jenn@bramleycommunications.com