PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island officials said they are currently engaged in serious negotiations with the owner of the Industrial Trust Co. Building – Rhode Island’s tallest building, commonly known as the “Superman” building – on a proposal to redevelop the iconic downtown property into residential units. . .
“We’re short on housing. This is meeting an obvious market demand,” Wood said. “We know now there is a strong demand for a particular type of use. … It’s obviously an iconic building for the state. We encourage any reasonable plan to see it be redeveloped. It would be really significant for the downtown and the local economy. It’s a lost opportunity to have it empty. It’s not neutral for it to be empty. It’s a negative pull.”