The Providence Produce Warehouse

One of my favorite things about Providence is the diversity of both the population and the architectural makeup of the city. Over Wintersession, a six week mini-semester between fall and spring semesters at RISD, I had the opportunity to take a few classes outside of my required foundation studies curriculum. One class, "Artist as Witness," encouraged me to explore outside of my locus of control and take in the city around me. For my primary project, I decided to document the controversial demolition of the Providence Produce Warehouse, a designated historic landmark located between the Providence Place Mall and I-95.

The decaying property was purchased from the state of Rhode Island in 2005 by Carpionato Properties, a developer based in Cranston, with the promise of restoring the architectural integrity of the building and developing it for new public use. Despite their seemingly good intentions, Carpionato sat on this promise until 2008, when the security of the building had been breached and the structure had fallen into such great decay a Providence Building Official ordered Carpionato to acquire a demolition permit, citing the safety of the residents of 403 apartments across the street as a concern.Gelatin silver prints, 2008

For more information, visit Art in Ruins, a site dedicated to urban decay and renewal in Rhode Island, and The Providence Preservation Society.