RHODE ISLAND ALERT! Billionaire's Dangerous Skyscraper Is 100% EMPTY

A 428-foot Art Deco skyscraper has stood empty in downtown Providence, Rhode Island for thirteen years. It is the tallest building in the entire state, and it has been completely uninhabited since April 2013. They call it the Superman Building — the Daily Planet of Providence, the tower locals say inspired Clark Kent's newsroom. But the legend is folklore, not fact: Superman co-creator Joe Shuster cited Toronto's Star Building as his inspiration, not Providence. The myth stuck anyway, and now it is the only thing keeping a 26-story limestone giant from being demolished. This is the story of the Industrial Trust Building at 111 Westminster Street. Designed by Walker and Gillette, opened in 1928, anchored by Bank of America until the bank walked out of 380,000 square feet — using only 20% of the space by the end. Three governors have tried to close the subsidy gap. The renovation cost ballooned from $220 million to $308 million. Phase 1 asbestos abatement alone runs $25 million. A federal $236 million Department of Transportation loan is now the only realistic lifeline. Owner David Sweetser died in July 2025 at 70. The building outlived him. The green crown lantern still flickers on at 9 p.m. and off at 5 a.m. — a symbolic gesture over twenty-six floors of nothing. This is the Double Lock: too expensive to renovate, too symbolic to demolish. The cleanest case study of the post-2013 American office crisis on the East Coast. #RhodeIsland #Providence #SupermanBuilding #ArtDeco #CollapseRadar