What Should Be Done with Old I-195 Land?
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Candidates for Providence mayor are eyeing land opened up by the relocation of Interstate 195 as one of the keys to the economic future of the capital city.
Democratic candidate Steven Costantino this week released a plan for how the 20 acres of prime undeveloped urban real estate—a rarity in a city like Providence—could be developed. He said the city couldn’t afford to miss what he described as the most important economic development opportunity for Providence since the moving of the rivers.
Costantino said the development had to fit into the “unique character of the city” and have a variety of uses. He said it should create jobs and expand the city’s tax base by drawing private development and investment by tax-exempt organizations.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“We have one chance and we cannot miss an opportunity by allowing this redevelopment to stagnate on any front,” Costantino added. “I look forward to working side-by-side with private industries, our institutions and non-profits to ensure the redevelopment of this newly available land will provide a generous benefit to Providence, its neighborhoods and its residents for years to come.”
Costantino said the effort should be spearheaded by a new corporation he would establish as mayor. Dubbed the “Corridor Development Corporation,” it would be armed with all the legal and financial tools it needed to get the project moving. “We have an extraordinary opportunity for new jobs and economic development, but to do it right, we must carefully and wisely construct a strategy that takes into account the entire city,” Costantino said.
“We have one chance and we cannot miss an opportunity by allowing this redevelopment to stagnate on any front,” Costantino added. “I look forward to working side-by-side with private industries, our institutions and non-profits to ensure the redevelopment of this newly available land will provide a generous benefit to Providence, its neighborhoods and its residents for years to come.”
Taveras Says I-195 Can Be ‘Hub of Job Growth’
Democratic candidate Angel Taveras and independent Jonathan Scott yesterday agreed that the former I-195 corridor presented a can’t-miss opportunity for the city but they did not share Costantino’s approach to making it happen.
“This redevelopment will create a new hub of job growth - both middle class jobs and high wage jobs in the knowledge economy, create a walkable riverfront from the Mall to the Bay, and provide additional commercial and office space,” Taveras said.
However, he added that the “last thing Rhode Island needs” is “another quasi-state agency with more bureaucracy and red tape.” Instead, he said the city should stick with the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation.
“I support the ongoing partnership agreement that the City of Providence signed with the EDC and the Department of Transportation which will maximize this important opportunity for business development, economic growth and the creation of urban parks and a public waterfront,” Taveras said.
Scott Warns Against ‘Instant Fixes’
Independent candidate Jonathan Scott warned against moving too quickly on the development, saying a long-term vision was needed for the land.
“The 195 corridor development plan comes up frequently as an economic savior for the city but reality dictates that it will not generate instant fixes in an economy where credit is tight and developers are scaling back and finding themselves in trouble financially,” Scott said.
“The long-term benefits can be maximized but that can only come with vision and the recognition that using the asset to stop gap budget shortfalls for one-time fixes is another shortsighted move in a city that can ill afford more of the same,” Scott added.
With the right kind of long-term planning, Scott said the area could become like Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. “Or we can take a quick trip down the road and look at Central Falls to see the alternative first hand,” he added.
Scott said the land would be better suited for the development of retail stores, rather than business offices and said the project was an opportunity to reconnect sections of the city that had been separated from each other when I-195 was first built.
The campaign for Democrat mayoral candidate John Lombardi yesterday did not release any new details on his vision for the development, instead pointing to his past statements on the issue where he has emphasized using the land to improve transportation in the city.
Lombardi has said the land should be developed according to a “Complete Street” model in which it would be accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders.
He has also said the land should be used to build an exercise park.
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