About The Foundry

About The Foundry

The Foundry is one of America's most distinct office and residential locations. Once the site of one of the industrial revolution’s most successful companies – Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company – today it is home to many of New England's best companies and the region’s most distinct loft apartment living.

The campus offers 26-acres and 13 buildings which have been meticulously restored and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Foundry is located along the Woonasquatucket River, adjacent to Providence Place Mall, Route 95, the Providence Train Station and Rhode Island’s State House.

THE CAMPUS

Select the campus location above then click on the number on the building below to learn about available space at either The Foundry Campus or ALCO.

Click on a building below to learn about available space.

History

The Foundry complex has a rich history dating back more than a century. The former industrial campus once served as the home to then industrial global powerhouse – Brown & Sharpe.

“The sprawling, historic complex of buildings is a stunning reminder of Providence's industrial might from the late-19th to the mid-20th century," according to the RIHPHC. Edward F. Sanderson, executive director of the commission said, ‘National Register designation gives recognition to the importance of Brown & Sharpe in the history of Providence and the nation.’”
– The Providence-Journal, May 27, 2003
History

Brown & Sharpe originated in 1833 in the South Main Street shop of David Brown & Son, makers and repairers of clocks, watches and light precision tools. The firm took its present name in 1853 when Brown's son,  Joseph, made Lucian Sharpe a full partner. Inventions flowed constantly from the small shop, including the first automatic machine for graduating rules (1850) and the precision Gear Cutting and Dividing Engine (1855).
History

With business booming and the company expanding – including 300 employees working at 14 different locations – Brown & Sharpe purchased land on Promenade Street along the Woonasquatucket River in 1872. Employee Thomas McFarlane designed the first building – a 66,000-square-foot, brick, cast-iron and concrete structure that included spaces for all the company's functions - from design studios to production areas. The company filled out its 33-acre parcel (later reduced to 25 acres when a portion of the site was cleared to accommodate Route 95) with buildings closely linked with the development of various machine-tool products. Among the structures are a carpenter shop, powerhouse, machine shops, warehouses, grinding shop and steel storage bins.
History

By 1964 Brown and Sharpe had outgrown the location on Promenade Street and much of its space was functionally obsolescent. They moved their operation to North Kingstown, RI, like many other Providence based manufacturers. With the popularity of the automobile making people more mobile, it was a logical time to move to the suburbs where a lot of their workforce had moved. 
History

In 1968, a group led by Antonio Guerra, a local architect and contractor, purchased the 26 acres of land and buildings from Brown and Sharpe and renamed it the CIC (Capitol Industrial Center). Later changing the name to The Foundry to highlight the concept of merging the old and the new, Mr. Guerra envisioned a large of mixed use campus, the first of its kind in RI. The meticulous care and restoration of the buildings at The Foundry has brought that vision to a reality that can be seen today, with 500,000 sf of office space, and 500,000 sf of multi-family apartments thriving with activity, energy and amenities that set the trend for this type of transformation. 
History

Project Development and management for most of four decades was successfully directed by Mr. Guerra’s son Thomas, who started working with his father at The Foundry when he was 14. The Foundry Team continues to bring unity to the Campus by improving access, creating community spaces and amenities that attract the most talented people and businesses to want to live and work here. Over 300 people call it home, over 50 top businesses with over 2,000 employees conduct business here.
History

An appreciation for the past, a renewed life for buildings that had been abandoned and the vision to combine it all into a Campus that is once again a destination, is an accomplishment that Antonio Guerra and his family are proud to have completed.
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OUR PEOPLE

Founder

Antonio Guerra (1927-2014)

 

Tony began his career as an architect with The Robinson, Green, Beretta Corporation, he then created Delta Construction Company, one of the first design-build construction firms in the Northeast, in 1962. He was a visionary, and a pioneer in the field of historic preservation. Tony's most prominent contribution to Rhode Island and to the city of Providence was his purchase and renovation of the former Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Plant, currently known as The Foundry Corporate Office Center and The Promenade Apartments. Tony finalized the purchase of this historic complex in 1968. Thirteen buildings totaling 1 million square feet have been completely renovated and restored and are occupied by a mix of commercial and residential uses. He pursued his vision faithfully until the day he passed. 

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Management / Staff

Thomas F. Guerra
Managing Partner
Anthony J. Thomas Jr.
Principal / Partner
Marisa Guerra Nero
Partner
Daniel F. Nichols, AIA
Project Manager
Rowland Hinds
Assistant Property Manager
Mike Taraian
Assistant Controller
Janet Graham
Controller
Pat Palermo
Operations Supervisor
Lisa Montanaro
Office Manager
Leah Lautieri
Property Manager
llautieri@promenadeprov.com
Chelsea Porreca
Leasing
cporreca@promenadeprov.com
Patrick Mattingly
Service Manager
service@promenadeprov.com

TRANSFORMATION

The Foundry complex has a rich history dating back more than a century. The former industrial campus once served as the home to then industrial global powerhouse – Brown & Sharpe.

A group led by Antonio Guerra, a local architect and contractor, purchased the 26 acres of land and buildings from Brown and Sharpe and renamed it the CIC (Capitol Industrial Center). Later changing the name to The Foundry to highlight the concept of merging the old and the new, Mr. Guerra envisioned a large mixed use campus, the first of its kind in RI. Project development and management for most of 4 decades was successfully directed by Mr. Guerra’s son Thomas, who started working with his father at The Foundry when he was 14. Over 300 people now call it home, over 50 top businesses with over 2,000 employees conduct business here.

Before
After

The Foundry complex has a rich history dating back more than a century. The former industrial campus once served as the home to then industrial global powerhouse – Brown & Sharpe.

A group led by Antonio Guerra, a local architect and contractor, purchased the 26 acres of land and buildings from Brown and Sharpe and renamed it the CIC (Capitol Industrial Center). Later changing the name to The Foundry to highlight the concept of merging the old and the new, Mr. Guerra envisioned a large mixed use campus, the first of its kind in RI. Project development and management for most of 4 decades was successfully directed by Mr. Guerra’s son Thomas, who started working with his father at The Foundry when he was 14. Over 300 people now call it home, over 50 top businesses with over 2,000 employees conduct business here.

Before
After

The Foundry complex has a rich history dating back more than a century. The former industrial campus once served as the home to then industrial global powerhouse – Brown & Sharpe.

A group led by Antonio Guerra, a local architect and contractor, purchased the 26 acres of land and buildings from Brown and Sharpe and renamed it the CIC (Capitol Industrial Center). Later changing the name to The Foundry to highlight the concept of merging the old and the new, Mr. Guerra envisioned a large mixed use campus, the first of its kind in RI. Project development and management for most of 4 decades was successfully directed by Mr. Guerra’s son Thomas, who started working with his father at The Foundry when he was 14. Over 300 people now call it home, over 50 top businesses with over 2,000 employees conduct business here.

Before
After

The Foundry complex has a rich history dating back more than a century. The former industrial campus once served as the home to then industrial global powerhouse – Brown & Sharpe.

A group led by Antonio Guerra, a local architect and contractor, purchased the 26 acres of land and buildings from Brown and Sharpe and renamed it the CIC (Capitol Industrial Center). Later changing the name to The Foundry to highlight the concept of merging the old and the new, Mr. Guerra envisioned a large mixed use campus, the first of its kind in RI. Project development and management for most of 4 decades was successfully directed by Mr. Guerra’s son Thomas, who started working with his father at The Foundry when he was 14. Over 300 people now call it home, over 50 top businesses with over 2,000 employees conduct business here.

Before
After

Sharpe Building

The Foundry complex has a rich history dating back more than a century. The former industrial campus once served as the home to then industrial global powerhouse – Brown & Sharpe.

A group led by Antonio Guerra, a local architect and contractor, purchased the 26 acres of land and buildings from Brown and Sharpe and renamed it the CIC (Capitol Industrial Center). Later changing the name to The Foundry to highlight the concept of merging the old and the new, Mr. Guerra envisioned a large mixed use campus, the first of its kind in RI. Project development and management for most of 4 decades was successfully directed by Mr. Guerra’s son Thomas, who started working with his father at The Foundry when he was 14. Over 300 people now call it home, over 50 top businesses with over 2,000 employees conduct business here.

Before
After

The Foundry complex has a rich history dating back more than a century. The former industrial campus once served as the home to then industrial global powerhouse – Brown & Sharpe.

A group led by Antonio Guerra, a local architect and contractor, purchased the 26 acres of land and buildings from Brown and Sharpe and renamed it the CIC (Capitol Industrial Center). Later changing the name to The Foundry to highlight the concept of merging the old and the new, Mr. Guerra envisioned a large mixed use campus, the first of its kind in RI. Project development and management for most of 4 decades was successfully directed by Mr. Guerra’s son Thomas, who started working with his father at The Foundry when he was 14. Over 300 people now call it home, over 50 top businesses with over 2,000 employees conduct business here.

Before
After

The Foundry complex has a rich history dating back more than a century. The former industrial campus once served as the home to then industrial global powerhouse – Brown & Sharpe.

A group led by Antonio Guerra, a local architect and contractor, purchased the 26 acres of land and buildings from Brown and Sharpe and renamed it the CIC (Capitol Industrial Center). Later changing the name to The Foundry to highlight the concept of merging the old and the new, Mr. Guerra envisioned a large mixed use campus, the first of its kind in RI. Project development and management for most of 4 decades was successfully directed by Mr. Guerra’s son Thomas, who started working with his father at The Foundry when he was 14. Over 300 people now call it home, over 50 top businesses with over 2,000 employees conduct business here.

Before
After