This ABC 6 News story is a clear illustration of why residential condos/apartments and industrial uses don’t mix. For years CAPCO Steel has been parking their steel beam trailers along Harris Ave in what is a primarily light industrial neighborhood.
Residents of the street’s only condo/apartment development, The 903, complained that the trailers were unsightly. Not surprisingly resident complaints won out over a long established industrial business which has even partnered with the city to train steel workers.
If condos or hotels are allowed in the middle of Providence’s industrial working waterfront on Allens Ave, similar complaints are guaranteed. Future residents surely wont want to hear the rumble of fuel oil trucks, see the glare from a welding torch, or smell hot asphalt being made.
Put simply, mixed-use does not mean locating residential/hotel uses directly next to heavy industrial uses. It’s a recipe for complaints, and industrial uses almost always end up on the losing end.
