"Open to the public, there's a lot to see and do here," ROOMS&WORKS property manager Sara Petrichko told Rhode Island Inno. She oversees the Providence-based mixed-use property, which boasts everything from residential lofts (40 of them) to an event and coworking space and more.
The spot is housed in what was once the Klein Building and home to the Mechanical Fabric Mill; its refurbishment comes courtesy of brothers Federico Manaigo (a real estate developer) and Antonio Manaigo (Rhode Island Institute of Design grad and designer).
"They’ve done a beautiful job transforming a historic building," Petrichko said. "Our hope was to create a mixed-use, one-stop shop; a vibrant community for residents and neighbors of Cromwell Street to enjoy."
The property, which opened in 2017, utilized a lot of the building's historical elements in the redesign.
"From old machinery to an old hand washing station filled with spoons, it is amazing the amount of items the brothers salvaged during rehab," she added.
These elements didn't come at the cost of modern amenities, however; ROOM&WORKS has free Wi-Fi, a grill and bocce court, conference room, storage and a courtyard adorned with picnic tables. Pets are allowed, too.
And did we mention the doughnut shop, brewery and speakeasy bar? KNEAD Doughnuts ("Who recently added a hot doughnut window!" Petrichko said), Providence Kitchen Collaborative, Long Live Beerworks and Far West all call ROOM&WORKS home.
Petrichko said that while all office spaces are totally utilized, there's coworking spaces available.
They offer a one-day trial to check the space out. And the space has several core tenants, including Prsic&Prsic, Public Lab, Rent Sons, Erica Campanella Designs, Move Mountains Co., Westside CPA and The Branding Edit.
Petrichko, who oversees the Manaigo brothers' other project as well (the renovated Pilgrim Congregational Church, which is now home to 15 residential lofts), added that R&W will open the team's second phase on Sprague Street "in the next few months." It will provide additional lofts and office space.
