Public Art Downtown

Head to the Visitors Center lobby to see the proposed final designs in the Pawtucket Gateway Design Competition.

Yesterday’s article in the Times doesn’t say how long they are on view but according to an earlier ProJo article, officials want the design finalized by September. Finalists were selected from among 11 contestants who submitted their qualifications to a panel of experts assembled by the Pawtucket Planning Department during the fall in January. 

Has anyone seen them? What do you think?

 

How Other Cities Deal with Gentrification

There was an interesting article in the New York Times today about how Portland, OR is addressing the racial issues associated with gentrification. Apparently, the city’s Office of Neighborhood Involvement is sponsoring the Restorative Listening Project, an initiative that offers Portland residents the opportunity to discuss their concerns about some neighborhood’s changing demographics. According to their Web site:

“The Restorative Listening Project is based on the principles of Restorative Justice which says that only when those most impacted are heard, acknowledged and efforts have been made to repair the harm can the community be made whole again. Once the following questions are answered - What happened?, Who was harmed?, How were they harmed?, and How can the harm be repaired? – we can identify ways to move forward.”

To put the project in perspective, check out the Portland paper’s special report on gentrification. There is something very powerful about seeing portraits of residents and reading their stories.

Pawtucket-Central Falls might be able to learn a lot from Portland’s experience – and the challenges of creating an environment for conversation around contested topics. Even for progressive Portland this transitional process has not been easy for its residents and the conversations have even at times exposed assumed stereotypes. However, these revelations reinforce the need to keep the dialogue going even in the face of uncomfortable topics. PADS has started the process of carving out a safe space for its residents to participate in an honest exchange of ideas but we cannot stop here. We must dedicate our efforts to keeping the conversation brutally honest and come together to forge a path forward that is in the best interest of local residents’ quality of life, not just the bottom-line.

 

Weight limit on Pawtucket bridge lowered to 18 tons

from the Pawtucket Times

05-08-2008 03:06  

PAWTUCKET — The Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced Wednesday it will lower the posting of the Pawtucket River Bridge between Exits 27 and 28 in Pawtucket to 18 tons. That means that loaded buses and trucks weighing more than 18 tons will no longer be permitted to cross the bridge. The bridge was originally posted at 22 tons in November 2007.

Trucks and loaded buses weighing more than 18 tons bypassing Providence should use I-295. Those headed to Providence from Massachusetts should use I-295 South to Route 146 South. Trucks and loaded buses more than 18 tons headed to Pawtucket will need to use the signed local detours. State Police will continue to partner with RIDOT for enforcement purposes.

“The Pawtucket River Bridge is safe,” said RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis.  “However, in an abundance of caution and to further preserve its deteriorating condition until the bridge is replaced, we are lowering the posting of this bridge.”

The DOT has been committed to a rigorous inspection of the Pawtucket River Bridge, reviewing the critical areas of the bridge and focusing on those areas previously identified as deficient,” transportation officials said. Traditionally bridge inspections are done once every two years. However, due to its present condition, the Pawtucket River Bridge has a detailed inspection every six months. The latest inspection showed that the bridge continues to deteriorate, which has led to this new posting. 

The Pawtucket River Bridge was built for 60,000 cars per day. Today volumes are nearly three times that amount at 162,000 vehicles per day. It was built in 1958 as part of the original Interstate system and carries traffic over Taft Street and the Pawtucket River.

More information, including detour routes, is available on the RIDOT website at www.dot.ri.gov. RIDOT’s Customer Service office, 401-222-2450, can answer additional questions and is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

Loss of Historic Tax Credits Impacting Downtown Pawtucket Redevelopment

Looks like we lost another developer for the Old Colony Bank building at 347 Main Street.

The ProJo reported that after the General Assembly voted to exclude new development projects from receiving historic tax credits developer Lawrence J. Platt decided to pull out of the Old Colony Bank building. According to Mike Cassidy, Director of Planning and redevelopment, “He was deeply disappointed...[the] state’s elimination of historic tax credits for any project going forward just killed this project.” According to the paper “the Providence-based developer had been planning to spend up to $3 million to convert the Old Colony Bank building into stores and offices, combining state and federal historic tax credits to raise part of the money.”

Basically the same facts reported by the Pawtucket Times who added only that the redevelopment of the former Pawtucket School District’s administrative offices at 81 Park Place by developer Everett Amaral of Amaral Revite may also be endangered by the loss of historic tax credits. At the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency meeting (PRA) last Tuesday, Planning Department officials “said that there is a draft purchase and sales agreement between the city and Amaral Revite but said they do not know the current status pf the deal as that negotiation is taking place with City Council.” They went on to say, “according to the latest information from the General Assembly, there will be no state historic tax credit for projects that had not been qualified by Dec. 31, 2007″ but that “federal historic tax credits offering tax breaks of 20 percent are still available” if a building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Don’t worry though, at their meeting the PRA also announced that construction of CVS on the site of the Pawtucket-Central Falls Railroad Depot has begun. So, while downtown residents have few amenities, our drug store needs – already well served by the several chains established in and around downtown – will be met. If we are lucky CVS will decide they can take advantage of the walking population just like Walgreen’s does by charging a little extra for the “privilege” of shopping there!

Let’s hope somehow there are more developers like J. Hogue and Michael Lozano of The Grant who might be interested in the Old Colony Bank building and the rest of downtown. The Grant also has a blog folks might want to check out.

May 12th–Health Care Reform Community Meeting

Monday, May 12th 6:30 PM Pawtucket Public Library

“Please join Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts for a Health Care Reform Community Meeting. A discussion with Lt. Governor Roberts, other elected officials, community leaders, and your neighbors about how the problems in our health care system are affecting Rhode Island’s families, businesses, and communities. Lt. Governor Roberts will share the details of her Healthy Rhode Island Reform Act of 2008, which will transform the health care system in our state by putting in place a strong new structure for ensuring that all Rhode Islanders will have access to high quality health care at a price they can afford.  Please contact Brian Monteiro, Office of the Lt. Governor (401.222.2371) if you have any questions”

The Lt. Governor’s office is trying to contact as many community groups as they can, so please spread the word. To read more about her Reform Act please visit: http://www.ltgov.ri.gov/healthyri/

–Your Public Service Announcement Team at PADS