South Street Station

United States historic place


South Street Landing
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

South Street Landing in 2021
41°49′7″N 71°24′24″W / 41.81861°N 71.40667°W / 41.81861; -71.40667
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1912
Architect	Jenks & Ballou
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.	06000553 ^[1]
Added to NRHP	June 30, 2006

The South Street Station (formerly known as The Narragansett Electric Company Power Station or Narragansett Electric Lighting Company Power Station and rebranded in 2017 as South Street Landing) is an historic electrical power generation station at 360 Eddy Street in Providence, Rhode Island. The structure has since been redeveloped and is now used as an administrative office and academic facility by a number of local universities.

History

The structure is a massive brick and stone building, constructed in stages between 1912 and 1952. Despite its phased construction, the 58,000-square-foot (5,400 m²) building has fairly consistent Classical Revival styling. The building, an excellent example of early 20th-century power plant design, burned coal to provide electrical power to the city. It was gradually taken over by the more modern Manchester Street Station and was decommissioned in 1995.^[2]

Redevelopment

Following the station's decommissioning, the Rhode Island Historical Society planned to convert the building into a museum. As planned, the Heritage Harbor Museum would have been a Smithsonian Affiliate museum devoted to Rhode Island's history and culture. Construction began in 2007 on a combined museum and hotel, but the project was cancelled in 2009 due to lack of funding.^[3]^[4] The building sat vacant and decaying for many years.

In 2014, Boston developer CV Properties began redeveloping the structure for use by Brown University, Rhode Island College, and University of Rhode Island.^[5] The project cost an estimated $220 million and received roughly $27 million and $22 million in state and federal tax credits.^[6] The project was completed in 2017. The property was purchased by Chicago–based real investment trust Ventas later that year.^[7]

River House—an adjacent 270-bed housing complex—opened in the summer of 2019.^[8] In October 2019, the station received the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award, which recognizes preservation and adaptive reuse projects.^[9]

Gallery

The building in 2008
The building in 2010
A 2011 view showing the hollow structure
The building in 2018, shortly after its renovation

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ "NRHP nomination for South Street Station" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
^ Abbott, Elizabeth (2013-01-08). "Historic Power Plant in Providence, R.I., May Get Another Chance at an Encore". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
^ Abbott, Elizabeth. "Plans to turn Dynamo House into a museum and hotel died in the recession, but a new player has come forward". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
^ Nesi, Ted (29 November 2017). "Old power station transformed as ribbon cut on $220M South Street Landing project". WPRI Eyewitness News. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
^ Bramson, Kate. "South Street Landing: A $220M economic jumpstart in Providence". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
^ Bramson, Kate. "Chicago firm buys South Street Landing for $130 million". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
^ Dawson, Henry (2019-02-28). "New apartments unveiled in Jewelry District". Brown Daily Herald. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
^ "South Street Landing Wins Prestigious National Preservation Award // Providence Preservation Society". ppsri.org. Retrieved 2021-08-23.