PROVIDENCE — The Procaccianti Group last night opened the parking lot created by the demolition of the former police and fire headquarters in La Salle Square, which the developer knocked down this summer after a city building official said it was a public safety hazard.

The Cranston developer opened the 150-space parking lot to coincide with the reopening of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center for the Providence Bruins home opener last night. The center is in the midst of a three-part, $80-million renovation and has been closed for six months.

The developer also owns the Hilton Hotel across the street, the vacant John F. Fogarty Building on Fountain Street and the Westin Hotel, which is finishing its own major expansion, a 32-story tower with additional hotel rooms and luxury condominiums. The 16-story hotel tower is open, and the first condominium residents are expected to move in to the upper floors over the next several weeks.

The capstone on the so-called Procaccianti “power block” was the police and fire station, which caused a conflict when Procaccianti tried to knock it down in July, with city preservationists and neighborhood groups on one side and the developer on the other.

Several groups challenged the developer’s assertion that the building was a safety hazard, and called it architecturally significant. They appealed to the city’s Building Board of Review, but the appeals were turned down.

Literally moments after emergency demolition approval was received Aug. 2, wrecking balls struck the building and it was torn down over two months. Procaccianti preserved several cosmetic elements of the façade for future use.

Procaccianti spokesman Ralph Izzi said that the parking lot was striped yesterday and was open for business last night to serve Providence Bruins fans. The 48,448-square-foot lot will offer monthly, event and transient parking, at what he said would be “market rates.” Downtown lots charge anywhere from $150 to $250 for monthly overnight parking and daily rates can range from less than $10 to more than $15.

Ultimate Hotel Parking will manage the lot for the developer.

In the long term, Procaccianti wants to build an office tower with retail and restaurant uses on the ground floor and an attached parking facility. But while the developer has taken preliminary plans before the city’s review boards, there has been little movement in some time and no work is imminent.

dbarbari@projo.com