Tall & Urban News

The proposed US$300 million Hope Point Tower project at 250 Dyer St. in the city’s Jewelry District was approved by the city more than three years ago. After gaining approval, the developer and I-195 Redevelopment Commission requested that the property’s zoning allow a 600 feet  (182 meter) maximum building height, which exceeds the parcel’s zoning regulations that call for a 100 foot cap (30 meters).

The city and the Superior Court approved their request. Yet Peter Scotti & Associates, Inc., and Building Bridges Providence challenged the court in 2019 and filed a lawsuit against the zoning change. The Supreme Court struck down that challenge on Thursday, 23 June 2022.

“We do not take such a review lightly but embark on it with due appreciation for the contested nature of the amendment at issue and the tremendous impact our decision will have on Providence and everyone interested in this case,” said Justice William P. Robinson III in his opinion, noting that the building would ultimately alter the city’s skyline.

If developed, the Fane tower would be about 100 feet (30 meters) taller than the state’s tallest building, the Industrial Trust Bank building in downtown Providence, often dubbed “the Superman building.”

“Mr. Fane welcomes the RI Supreme Court decision and regrets the time lost on resolving a case which had no merit,” Fane spokesperson Jim Malachowski said in a statement sent to the press.

For more on this story, go to Boston Globe.