Providence Place facts for kids
Providence Place with Omni Providence Hotel at far left in the background.
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| Location | Providence, Rhode Island, United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°49′40.58″N 71°24′59.24″W / 41.8279389°N 71.4164556°W |
| Address | One Providence Place |
| Opening date | August 20, 1999 |
| Developer | Commonwealth Development |
| Management | Brookfield Properties |
| Owner | Brookfield Property Partners |
| No. of stores and services | 160 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 2 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,400,000 sq ft (130,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 3 |
Providence Place is a large shopping mall located in Providence, Rhode Island, in the United States. It opened in 1999 and has been the biggest shopping mall in Rhode Island ever since. It has a huge amount of space for stores, about 1,400,000 sq ft (130,000 m2)!
Today, the mall is home to big department stores like Boscov's and Macy's. Over the years, other large stores like Filene's, JCPenney, Lord & Taylor, and Nordstrom have also been here.
Contents
A Look Back: Mall History
Providence Place first opened its doors in 1999. Back then, its main big stores were Lord & Taylor, Filene's, and Nordstrom.
Changes Over Time
- In 2004, Lord & Taylor closed its doors.
- JCPenney took its place in 2005.
- Filene's became a Macy's store in 2006.
- JCPenney closed in 2015. Part of its space was turned into more parking.
- Nordstrom closed in 2019. Boscov's opened in its place later that year.
The Secret Apartment Story
In 2004, a group of artists did something very unusual. They secretly built a small apartment inside one of the mall's parking garages! They even furnished it with a sofa, a TV, and a dining table. They lived there for up to three weeks at a time, watching how people used the mall. Mall security eventually found the apartment. One of the artists, Michael Townsend, was banned from the mall for life.
Recent Challenges
In June 2020, Providence Place faced some damage. This happened when people protesting during a large public event broke into some stores and caused damage.
Mall Design and Features
The mall was built on land that used to be a simple dirt parking lot. When the first designs for the mall were shown, some people in the city didn't like them. They felt the design didn't fit in with the neighborhood.
Fitting In with the City
So, the developers changed the plans. The new design included more red and yellow bricks and cool turrets on the roof. These features were added to remind people of Providence's history as an industrial city. A famous architect named Friedrich St. Florian helped design parts of the mall. He also created the skybridge that connects the mall to the Omni Providence Hotel.
Inside the Mall
Providence Place has many levels. There are three main shopping floors. The mall also has two large parking garages, one on the city side and one on the state side. Bridges connect these two sides over the Woonasquatucket River.
On the third level of the mall, you'll find the food court. This level also leads to other fun places like:
- A Dave & Buster's
- An IMAX movie theater
- A large 16-screen cinema
The Winter Garden
One of the most special parts of the mall is its Winter Garden. This is a four-level area in the middle of the mall. It's built right over the Woonasquatucket River and the Amtrak train tracks! The Winter Garden has huge glass windows. These windows offer amazing views of the city outside.
Main Stores at Providence Place
Here are the main department stores that have been at Providence Place:
| Name | Year opened |
Year closed |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordstrom | 1999 | 2019 | |
| Boscov's | 2019 | N/A | Replaced Nordstrom |
| Lord & Taylor | 1999 | 2004 | |
| JCPenney | 2005 | 2015 | Replaced Lord & Taylor |
| Filene's | 1999 | 2006 | |
| Macy's | 2006 | N/A | Replaced Filene's |
Images for kids
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Inside Providence Place
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Providence Place with the Gtech headquarters obscuring left view
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The former Nordstrom entrance in the mall
