Superman Building Interior Demo Started - Crew of Only 5 is Working Onsite

Superman Building Interior Demo Started - Crew of Only 5 is Working Onsite

GoLocal has confirmed that the much anticipated interior demolition of the Superman building has finally begun, but for the past three weeks, only five workers have been onsite.

State officials had promised the project would create 1,500 construction jobs over the course of the rehab.

The developer, High Rock Westminster, has repeatedly promised the interior demolition of the building and that it would be spending upwards of $25 million.

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First, on October 3, the developer announced in a press release that interior demolition of the building was beginning. “The first phase of the project will include interior demolition, asbestos abatement, and other work preparing various aspects of the building for restoration, totaling approximately $25 million dollars. This phase is expected to take six to nine months. No public tax dollars are being expended at this time,” said High Rock on October 3.

Further, they promised that the demolition would begin in October.

That did not happen.

 

 

Then, on November 5, the developer again announced that the demolition had begun. 

“As a result, the redevelopment construction process has commenced...This first phase of the project includes interior demolition, asbestos abatement, and other work preparing various aspects of the building for restoration. This phase is expected to take six to nine months. No public tax dollars are being expended during this phase. The demolition phase of the project is being led by High Rock’s general contractor Consigli Construction Co., Inc.,” said the company in the November 5 press statement.

Now, another month later has passed, and there is no visible demolition taking place and there are no new dumpsters onsite to remove the debris.

The Superman Building has now been vacant for more than ten years when Bank of America moved its operations out of the building.

The transformation of the 26-floor building, 428 feet tall, from an office building to residential is expected to take years with a full complement of workers.

A high-profile Rhode Island State House announcement in April of 2022 featured state officials and then-Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza announcing the plan that provided nearly $100 million in federal, state, and city appropriations, tax credits, and tax stabilization dollars to subsidize Newton, MA-based developer David Sweetser’s plans to rehab the Superman building into apartments.

 

No Additional State Funds

On October 5, 2023, while appearing on WPRO radio, Governor Dan McKee said, “We are going to hold up our side of the bargain" --- but warned there would be no additional public dollars.

“I can’t see to putting in more money coming into the project in a way that is coming out of Rhode Island taxpayers,” said McKee on Thursday on The Matt Allen Show.

This story was first published 11/27/23 2:30 AM