Brown University intends to flatten half of a city block near Thayer Street in the College Hill neighborhood to create a commercial parking lot.

In an amendment to the school's master plan filed with the Providence Planning Department, Brown officials wrote they want to raze seven multifamily houses that the school owns between Cushing Street, Meeting Street and Brook Street. The amendment document calls the two-unit buildings "unsightly."

Brown plans to have a third party manage the proposed parking lot to "serve the needs of the Thayer Street commercial district." The lot will not be used "as a permit parking lot for Brown faculty, staff or students," Brown wrote.

In the long term, Brown hopes to redevelop the property for academic or residential use, but has no specific plans to do so.

The number of spaces planned for the new lot is not included in the amendment document but appears to be around 80 spaces, based on a rendering.

Brown officials did not answer requests for comment on the parking lot plan.

To use the land as a commercial parking lot, Brown will need a special permit from the Providence Zoning Board of Review.

The site of the apartment houses slated for demolition, which was once slated for a hotel, is within the College Hill National and State Historic Register District, but not a local historic district in which city permission would have to be granted to tear something down.

The city must approve the change to Brown's master plan and a hearing on the matter is scheduled before the City Plan Commission on Tuesday.

Although master plan amendments have often been considered formalities, late last year the City Plan Commission rejected Rhode Island Hospital's plan to demolish its historic Southwest Pavilion.

The property tax status of the seven properties slated for demolition, which tax-exempt Brown bought in July 2014, was unclear Wednesday.

City assessor's records still show the parcels belonging to former owner Edward F. Bishop. They are: Nos. 434, 436, 442, 444 and 450 Brook St. and 167 and 169 Cushing St.

Neither Brown nor city officials Wednesday could be reached Wednesday on whether the properties were subject to a payment in lieu of taxes.

Two years ago nine houses were demolished a block away to make way for a student 95-unit student apartment building.

Brown's demolition plans are already drawing fire from the Providence Preservation Society.

"We oppose any plan for demolition that does not have anything better replacing it, and in this case we did not consider a parking lot an improvement," Runyon said.

panderson@providencejournal.com

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