Providence, Rhode Island’s The Arcade was 188 years old when it ended its run as America’s oldest shopping mall. Instead of letting the classical Greek structure (surprisingly beautiful for a mall) fall into disarray, developers turned it into 48 micro-apartments.
“It’s cool to be part of such a historic building and knowing that every single one of these units used to be a shop of some kind,” resident Amy Henion told CNBC.
On the bottom floor, there are offices and retail spaces that both offer built-in amenities for residents and boost the small business economy.
The exterior of The Arcade, which joined the national register of historic places in 1971. Photo courtesy of Northeast Collaborative Architects
“I get my hair cut in the salon downstairs, and there’s little lunch spots, so you don’t even have to leave the building,” Henion said. “There’s a bookstore downstairs and they’ll do author talks in the private lounge area.”
The lofts are definitely “micro,” but it’s a workable option for young adults living on their own — and rent costs about $550 a month.
“When residents need more space than their cozy individual units offer, they can take advantage of a game room, TV room, and porches,” Northeast Collaborative Architects, the designers of the development, said in a statement.
Inside one of the micro-lofts in The Arcade. Photo by Ben Jacobsen for Northeast Collaborative Architects
“The Arcade has other common amenities including on-site laundry, bike storage, locked basement storage units, and a parking garage across the street.”
For Providence’s Gen-Z and millennial population, the development serves as an affordable housing option as they jumpstart their careers.
“Many tenants are artisans, and the project functions as an incubator for young professionals,” Northeast Collaborative Architects added.
The bottom floor of the mall is still home to retail space, where residents congregate regularly. Photo by Ben Jacobsen for Northeast Collaborative Architects
In a time where affordable housing is scarce, The Micro-Lofts at the Arcade make a positive case study for creative reuse.
“Providence has shown that bold vision and creative planning can be an economic boon to a city,” former Mayor Jorge Elorza said when the development opened.
“From creating more downtown housing to providing retail space for local entrepreneurs, to rehabilitating a beautiful and historic building — the project is a great example of economic development that just works.”
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A version of this article was originally published in The 2026 Home Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header image by Ben Jacobsen for Northeast Collaborative Architects
