EDITORIAL: Superman Building — Now Dark for 6 Years. Will Anyone Lead?
Monday, April 15, 2019
Happy anniversary!
The tallest building in Rhode Island has now been dark for six years. Some of the biggest companies in America have looked at the building, including Citizens Bank, PayPal, Samsonite, Hasbro… should we go on? They all came to the same conclusion — it is not economically viable to rehab the building.
The historic structure is decaying by the moment both internally and externally. A GoLocal investigation of the exterior of the building -- using a drone -- found significant decay. The outdated mechanicals and the deterioration of the interior are both well documented.
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Will any business leaders step forward — step forward without their hand out? There is a critical need to develop a strategy to save the building and bring back business to the so-called “financial district.” Apartments full of folks taking the train to Boston -- we have that currently downtown. Employers and workers — not so much.
The recent renaming of the Biltmore Hotel by its new owners reminded us of the history of the Biltmore — another iconic landmark that lay vacant for years until a group of Providence business leaders joined together and rescued the historic building.
Yes, they took advantage of some existing tax incentives, but the group came forward to help the city and the state.
Today, the usual suspects are festering overhead looking for more than just federal, and state historic tax breaks. And, more than the max amount of Rebuild RI dollars, and yes, the project will be eligible for a range of other incentives.
SEE EXCLUSIVE DRONE VIDEO HERE
It is time to rehab the Superman Building and fill it will business and jobs. Maybe a group of business leaders — men and women who have made millions in Rhode Island — can join together to develop the Superman to 21st-century greatness in a 20th-century frame.
The challenge is for these men and women not to stick out their hands so that working people of the state can subsidize and minimize their risk. Rather they should step forward as leaders, not parasites, and create something special for the future of Providence and all of Rhode Island.
Any takers?
Related Slideshow: Photos Captured from Drone Footage of the Condition of the Superman Building - Feb, 2019
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