Apex Pyramid | 100 Main Street | Pawtucket

ProJo: Stall tactics and abuse of power alleged as Apex saga drags on in court
The owner of the little-used Apex department store complex is suing Pawtucket to block the city's attempts to seize the property and redevelop it.

Lawyers for four entities calling themselves "the Apex companies" filed a complaint in U.S. District court last week "to stop the systemic abuse of power" by city officials who have "relentlessly singled out the Apex Companies" and "tried to coerce them into giving up their properties."
Click to expand...
After the PawSox stadium deal collapsed and the team headed for Worcester, the city had been in talks with Gates about buying the Apex land.

Those talks broke off last October and Mayor Donald Grebien said the would begin the process of seizing the land by eminent domain.

Grebien proposed borrowing $20 million to take the land between Route 95 and the Blackstone River to create a waterfront park with a mix of apartments and shops inland.
Click to expand...
 
There is finally some news to report on the prominently located Apex site (along side Rte 95 and the Seekonk River). The City of Pawtucket this week has approved the purchase of the property for some $17.7M, well above its appraised value. The owner has done little with the property since the full fledged Apex Department Store closed in 1999. He has been cited by the city on numerous occasions for not properly maintaining the property. He however also held out for an extremely high sale price keeping it underused and languishing. This site was once the proposed location for a new PawSox stadium. When that failed, the city and the Tidewater developers pursued a purchase but until now had never been able to reach an agreement.

Pawtucket acquiring Apex building, surrounding sites in $17.7M deal
pbn.com

Pawtucket acquiring Apex building, surrounding sites in $17.7M deal - Providence Business News

PROVIDENCE – The iconic Apex pyramid building seen by Rhode Islanders and others driving on Interstate 95 through Pawtucket is being acquired by the city’s redevelopment agency together with surrounding properties for $17.7 million under a settlement approved Tuesday night by community leaders...
pbn.com pbn.com
 
Last edited:
My desire for some of this site would be for narrow linear parkland along the river's east bank which would eventually be part of a path that extended south from the Main Street Bridge and falls by Slater Mill to the Festival Pier Park and Pawtucket Boys Club land. I personally would like to see the rest of it go toward something that would bring good jobs to the city. Pawtucket has had some significant setbacks in recent years losing its 100+ year old 300+ bed hospital in 2019 and the Pawsox in 2020. The city's current largest employer, Hasbro, has been rumored to be considering a move to consolidate its offices into a single location. It's headquarters presently occupies three separate office sites in Pawtucket, East Providence, and Providence. My own preference would be to see Hasbro build a new HQ here with a retail store and toy museum. The location cannot much be beat for the number of eyes that pass it each day. I am not in favor of another entertainment venue as has been mentioned possibly being incorporatated into the soccer Tidewater Development. Any jobs associated with such an endeavor would not be high paying and the nature of such a public participation business would always be at risk.
 
Last edited:
There is probably no other part of Pawtucket that has been reinvented as much as this area. This land on the east bank of the river was part of Massachusetts up until 1862 having been originally claimed by Plymouth Colony. A bridge has existed at this site dating back to a wooden structure first built in 1713 linking the two separate state sides of the village of Pawtucket. The present stone arched Main Street Bridge there dates back to 1858 (original span still exists with later modifications which widened it). The area that is currently available for development organically grew over some 250 years to include mills, houses of worship, retail, and housing with a street grid which would later eventually see much of it literally wiped off the map. The area was nearly all demolished and redeveloped in the 1950's and 1960's for the construction of Route 95 and later the Apex Department Store retail site. The city has in its recent requests for development bids indicated that it is open to further street redesign so it looks very likely that process may soon repeat itself.


Present Map showing site:
1767979776925.png


1923 Map (would mostly remain like this until 1950's)
1767979946115.png


John Wing Lane and River, Elm, Water, & Pitcher Streets would eventually all be eliminated along with a large portion of the still existing Vernon Street.



Aerial View of this area in 1961 after the construction of Rte 95 and prior to the Apex Department Store development
1767981148901.png



Aerial View from the 1970's after the street reconfiguration and construction of Apex (much of this still exists as is)
1767981625167~2.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top