UPDATED: Downtown Providence Apt. Building Wall Appears to Separate - Emergency Response Onsite

UPDATED: Downtown Providence Apt. Building Wall Appears to Separate - Emergency Response Onsite

The former People Savings Banks Building on Westminster Street in downtown Providence is being examined by emergency response and city officials for damage due to the high winds.

The building currently houses luxury apartments.

The Providence Fire Department closed off the street in a one-block area on Friday afternoon. 

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

City building inspection officials are on site, and all adjacent buildings have been cordoned off.

Providence Firefighter Union head Derek Silva says, "In the area of 145 Westminster St. @PVDFireDept is working a situation where a six-story building’s concrete/metal facade is separating from the building. The building itself is not in danger of collapsing."

The area will be blocked off from Friday night into Saturday.

GoLocal wrote about the conversion of the building to apartments in 2011:

 

To Serve Those Who Luxuriate

Called 70 Ken-West, one tower opens at 145 Westminster Street, and the other “more exclusive” tower opens onto 70 Kennedy Plaza.  Each tower shares similar amenities: a private roof deck, a marble lobby, hardwood floors, finished kitchens and bathrooms, and ample closet space. There are high ceilings and high security, with three opportunities for the residents to punch in a security code for admission into the building and their specific unit.   

While the amenities are similar, Westminster Tower’s units are two-bedrooms and 70 Kennedy Plaza’s apartments boast three plus bedrooms at just under 1900 square feet. For an added feel of glamour, the elevator in 70 Kennedy Plaza opens right into the apartment space. However, the glamour is reduced slightly when the entrance to the building is flanked by CVS on one side and Dunkin Donuts on the other.  

Unlike some comparable apartment spaces, 70 Ken-West does not come with parking or a gym. Rental parking about a block away is already worked out.

Rooms with views

The windows are also hit or miss.  In some of the bedrooms or office spaces, the glass is just a sliver to the side or is completely non-existent. However, the windows in the living rooms are, in a word, distracting. Huge panes of glass span across the whole wall and stretch over three-quarters of the 10-foot high ceilings. The views of the surrounding buildings are spectacular and as the floor numbers increase, a sweeping view of Down City emerges. 

But, of course, as the view increases so does the price. The more upscale 70 Kennedy Plaza starts at $2,750 a month, and the penthouse apartment reaches $3,450. In the adjacent tower, prices start at $1,650 and rise to $2,200 a month.   

Rental market ready

“The market is not ready for condos, in my personal opinion,” says Lister who confidently predicts a very interested market to rent these spaces. The comparable Promenade and Westminster Lofts are full. Meanwhile, Waterplace Park has given its renters an ultimatum to purchase their units, so Lister says that a majority of its units are emptying out.  

If Lister is correct, these nine units in 70 Ken-West will be snapped up quickly because of the People’s Savings Bank’s simple architecture and prime location—these is something relaxing and stimulating, homey and invigorating about incredible skyline views in a petite and elegant urban nest.