Providence Place opened in 1999 with original anchors Lord & Taylor, Filene's, and Nordstrom.[2] Lord & Taylor was repositioned and shuttered entirely in June 2004. The space was later filled by JCPenney in February 2005. Filene's became Macy's in 2006.
In September 2015, JCPenney closed down as part of a company decision to close 40 stores nationwide.
Throughout 2016, the mall underwent major renovations. The area that JCPenney once occupied was converted into parking, and a guidance system was later added in the garage to direct customers to open spots. Stateside Parking was renamed to "North Garage", and Cityside Parking was renamed to "South Garage".
On October 9, 2018, it was announced that Boscov's would replace Nordstrom, which closed on January 4 of the following year, when its lease expired.[3]
On June 1, 2020, Providence Place suffered damage after people protesting the murder of George Floyd broke in and looted 12-18 stores.[4]
A rise in working from home instead of downtown after the COVID-19 pandemic, increased online shopping, and preference for smaller in-person stores caused the mall to lose traffic. In October 2024, it was put in state receivership after lenders claimed it defaulted on $259 million in outstanding principal and interest.[5]
On November 15, 2024, Dallas-based Centennial took over management from Brookfield Properties.[6]
Secret apartment
Michael Townsend, Adriana Yoto and six other artists covertly built an apartment in a 750-square-foot (70 m2) empty space in one of the mall's parking garages in 2003 after hearing an advertisement which imagined living in the mall. The group lived there for up to three weeks at a time while documenting mall life. A cinderblock wall was built to keep the living space hidden. The apartment was burglarized at one point, with the occupants' PlayStation 2 game console being stolen. Some sources report that the mall's security guards took the console in an attempt to identify the occupants. The apartment had no running water, so the residents all used the mall bathrooms. Townsend was caught in 2007 after Jaffa Lam, an artist from Hong Kong, visited and was detected by security guards.[7] After the fully furnished apartment was discovered by mall security, Townsend, the head of the artists' cooperative, was initially charged with breaking and entering, but his charges were reduced to trespassing. The story received national attention. Prior to the discovery, he was planning on building a kitchen, installing wooden flooring, and adding a second bedroom. He pleaded no contest to trespassing and was sentenced to probation on October 2, 2007. The mall banned him from entering for life.[8][9][10][11]
In 2024, it was announced that a feature documentary film on the secret apartment had been completed, titled Secret Mall Apartment and directed by filmmaker Jeremy Workman.[12]
Architecture
The mall was built on land previously occupied by a dirt parking lot called "Ray's Park & Lock." The proposed design was met by opposition from residents on the city's East Side; developers changed the initial design to fit better into the neighborhood. The new design included more red and yellow brick and turrets on the roof, to reflect Providence's industrial past.[13]
The design of the mall was partly done by the architect Friedrich St. Florian.[14] He also built the skybridge that connected the mall with the Omni Providence Hotel (formerly the Westin Hotel).
In total, Providence Place consists of fifteen levels. The lowest three are labeled P1-P3 (formerly C-A). Level P1 consists of Parking-Only North Garage (Stateside), and Street Level Restaurants Cityside. There was also a level D in the North Garage. Level P2 consists of DSW shoes and Restaurants, Old Navy at the North Garage, and CVS Pharmacy at the South Garage, and The Skybrige to the Omni Hotel. Bed Bath & Beyond at the South Garage was open from 1999 until its closure in 2019. Level P3 consists of parking only, both at the North and South garages. Levels 1.5 and 2.5 also consist of parking only, both at the North and South garages. The South Garage is at the mall's southern end, facing Downtown. The North Garage is at the mall's northern end, facing state office buildings including the State Capitol.
The fifth through ninth levels are labeled 1, 1.5 (formerly 1M), 2, 2.5 (formerly 2M) and 3, which feature the indoor galleria (excluding the .5 levels). There is a Dave & Buster's, an IMAX theatre, and a 16-screen Showcase Cinemas on the seventh level. The mall also hosts two large parking garages labeled North Garage and South Garage, one stateside and the other cityside, anchored to its back end. Bridges connect the two sides over the Woonasquatucket River.
The mall's Winter Garden is a noticeable architectural feature. The four-level structure in the center of the mall spans the Woonasquatucket River and Amtrak'sNortheast Corridor line. The area features large expanses of glass providing views of the city. The third level of the Winter Garden contains the food court and access to its fourth level, serving as the entrance to Dave and Buster's, the IMAX theater, and the cinema. Although not directly connected to the mall, Amtrak's Providence Station is located approximately 200 yards east of the mall, providing Acela Express and Northeast Regional service to Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
^Kostrzewa, John (December 25, 2016). "John Kostrzewa: A winter night's tour of the Providence skyline". The Providence Journal. Retrieved December 25, 2016. Just across Memorial Boulevard, you can't miss Providence Place, the huge mall built in 1999 on land once used by Ray's Park & Lock, a dirt lot for 450 cars. ... When the mall was proposed, some East Siders ... complained it looked like an aircraft carrier. They convinced public officials to change the design to include more red brick (and special yellow brick for Nordstrom) and turrets on the roof to fit the city's industrial past.
