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Dome Inside Boston’s Quincy Market on a pre-pandemic day, serving as as the seating area for the food court at the complex. The sign boards of old businesses decorate the walls.

— Photo by Jyothis 

Adapted from Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

It’s happy news that Marsella Development Corp.  wants to establish a (Boston’s) Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall complex-style food hall on the ground floor of One Union Station in Providence, in the space that, pre-pandemic, housed the high-end Capital Grille and Bar Louie. With COVID-19 having probably permanently reduced the number of people, often armed with expense accounts, who work in downtowns, or in offices in general, the outlook for establishments like the Capital Grille doesn’t look all that good.

But the plan to put in that space a dozen restaurants of varying cuisines and price ranges makes a lot of sense for a state with such a rich food culture. It could  become a destination for many people, including tourists, especially in synergy with Waterplace Park and WaterFire. The food hall would presumably feature a lot of local food, such as produce from local farms and fish. It could become quite a destination.