Utile is serving as the on-call planning consultant for the I-195 District Commission in Providence, Rhode Island, the state-appointed authority responsible for the development of 21 parcels that were liberated by the relocation of the Interstate south of the Jewelry District in 2013. Utile’s role is to advise the Commission on development and urban design strategies to unify areas of the city previously divided by the highway, and attract new development and business opportunities to Downtown Providence.
The most recent phase of the District’s revitalization is the development of an innovative concession space on Parcel 42, intended to engage residents and energize the surrounding area. With Utile’s design guidance, the Commission has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for teams interested in designing, installing, and operating a concession area to activate this new open public space. Illustrating the RFP are conceptual designs of a restaurant pavilion developed by Utile, inspired by field trips to local pop-up brew pubs and restaurants to better understand dimensional, functional, and character issues.
Responses to the RFP are due on March 23, 2017, which can be found here.
