Council approves sale of former Fram office building in East Providence

City would recoup thousands in unpaid taxes from the transaction

By Mike Rego
Posted 1/19/17

EAST PROVIDENCE — After having sat idle for a decade or more, the former Fram office building on Pawtucket Avenue is on its way to being sold and likely being converted into a mixed-use …

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Council approves sale of former Fram office building in East Providence

City would recoup thousands in unpaid taxes from the transaction

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — After having sat idle for a decade or more, the former Fram office building on Pawtucket Avenue is on its way to being sold and likely being converted into a mixed-use space.

The East Providence City Council, at its meeting Tuesday night, Jan. 17, unanimously approved the recommendation of acting city manager Tim Chapman for the formal sale and disbursement of the property known as 105 and 105R Pawtucket Avenue, Map 302, Block 1, Parcel 30, 31 & 32.

Mr. Chapman said the sale price would be approximately $400,000. Of equal importance to the city for getting the property back on the tax roll, East Providence would receive a share of $183,600 from the sale, between $65,000-$70,000 of which would settle levy liens put on the parcel by the city.

The council at its previous gathering on January 3 heard a presentation from a spokesperson representing the prospective buyer. Aurora Lee, of the First National development firm, provided the body with a brief overview of her company's plan for the structures on the property. She told the body then the redesign would include residential and commercial units similar to the conversion done at the Rumford Baking Soda plant, now known as Rumford Center, where the buildings were repurposed and new structures were constructed to augment the site.

Before any construction can take place, however, the developer must submit plans and gain approvals from various other governing bodies besides the council, including the East Providence Waterfront Commission among others.

In voicing her initial support of the proposal, city planning director Jeanne Boyle called the approval process "lengthy and detailed."

But Ms. Boyle's enthusiasm for the plan comes in part because of the status of the Fram facility, which she called a "blight." She also noted several other potential developers of the property "have looked at it and walked away" because of its dilapidated state.

Of interest as well, the building, according to Ms. Boyle, was conceptualized by famed architect Walter Gropius. The late Mr. Gropius was the founder of the "International" or "Bauhaus School" of design and the Fram building is considered one of the few examples of his work in Rhode Island.

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Mike Rego

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.