Developer scales back proposal for downtown Bristol

Jim Roiter removes rooftop dining and cuts down height of project in hopes of getting town approval

By Scott Pickering
Posted 4/19/18

The developer of a large building at the corner of State and Thames streets has listened to critics, amended his plan and resubmitted it for town review. The original plan was met with widespread …

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Developer scales back proposal for downtown Bristol

Jim Roiter removes rooftop dining and cuts down height of project in hopes of getting town approval

Posted

The developer of a large building at the corner of State and Thames streets has listened to critics, amended his plan and resubmitted it for town review. The original plan was met with widespread criticism from town officials and residents who considered it too massive, tall and imposing for that vacant corner in the historic downtown district.

The amended plan, filed this week, addresses one of the most frequent criticisms — “it’s too high” — by removing what would have been rooftop dining for a Providence Coal-Fired Pizza restaurant located on the first floor. Developer Jim Roiter is still proposing a rooftop “amenities deck” with pool for residents in this building and the neighboring Belvedere at Bristol condos, but the rooftop restaurant is gone, as are bathrooms on that rooftop.

Also gone is a pitched roof, replaced with a flat roof that lowers the building’s profile and reduces the height variance required from the town.

Mr. Roiter was reluctant to remove the rooftop dining, but he realized it was necessary in order to move this project forward.

“It was an important part of the project, it still is important, in my mind. However, the compromise of taking it off the roof, while detrimental to the retail component … it helps us accomplish the larger goal of getting approval, finalizing the project, getting new residents into Bristol and contributing to the local economy. Those collective aims are more important than this single attribute.”

Nonetheless, he views it as an opportunity missed, not just for his project, but for the town of Bristol.

“I do think it’s a lost opportunity for the town to draw in additional visitors, who by word of mouth would know of this venue and would want to visit Bristol as a destination to dine on a rooftop overlooking one of the prettiest bays in  Rhode Island,” he said.

He added that the rooftop dining was an important part of the economic plan — “The summer months are to restaurants, as the Christmas season is to retailers,” he said — but Providence Coal-Fired Pizza knows about the change and remains supportive of the project.

The first three floors of the building are still the same — restaurant and parking on the ground level, 20 apartments on the second and third levels, connected to a parking deck that is accessible off of John Street. An existing parking deck will be demolished to make way for the new building.

Mr. Roiter also reduced the size of the building by shortening its length along Thames Street. The new plan has the building three and a half feet smaller, so it creates slightly more distance between its residences and the neighboring Gillary’s restaurant and bar.

Other changes include a new design of the facade along Thames Street, where they now propose using bricks, stepping back the building slightly, and planting vegetation along the sidewalk.

Mr. Roiter said the new design makes it look more like three connected buildings along Thames Street, instead of one, long building.

Overall, he’s very pleased with this design, while meeting the town requests.

“The expressions of concern about the massing and the height should be greatly put to rest here, in that the height of this building, at 41 feet, is really the minimal height that someone could build a three-story building, in a flood zone, given its location … And, it is the intent of zoning, in this area, that there be three-story construction along Thames Street. It’s historically compatible. If you look up and down Thames Street, there are numerous three-story buildings.”

One town official who does not have an official review of the project, but does have an official opinion, is Town Administrator Steven Contente. Mr. Contente was a critic of the original plan.

“I felt the first plan didn’t fit the area at all, it was too high, it was like a wall with asphalt shingles on top. I didn’t like it at all. I thought it was going to negatively affect the area,” Mr. Contente said.

After reviewing the new plan, he feels differently.

“I like it,” he said. “I think it fits the area. I think it fits the historic character of the area. I think it’s attractive. I think it’s a good investment into that area, and it’s going to contribute in many ways, including our tax base.”

Mr. Roiter is optimistic this new plan will be met with favorably by town officials.

“We’ve had a series of meetings, and to the best of our abilities, we’ve responded to and met the issues raised by the town,” Mr. Roiter said. “There’s not a single issue that they’ve asked for that we have not addressed. That plot of land deserves a handsome building to be proud of, and more importantly, for there to life on that corner that contributes to an area that has been blighted for so long … I wanted something as beautiful as the Belvedere building. I wanted it to look good in perpetuity … and I know that what we have now will be a beautiful addition to this important streetscape, this important corner of Bristol.”

The project will be reviewed by the Bristol Planning Board and Bristol Historic District Commission next month.

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.