Providence Pledges to Fix Broken Fountain at DePasquale Square, After Months of Embarrassment
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
It's hard to believe that the cherished center of Federal Hill — the fountain at DePasquale Square — has been left for months broken and dilapidated.
Finally, Jorge Elorza’s administration has promised to fix the broken fountain after a few weeks of finger pointing between store owners and the city.
The Providence City budget, which passed the City Council’s Finance Committee on Monday night, includes $210,000 to fix the broken fountain.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“I am pleased to announce that we are holding the line on tax increases, ensuring that our yearly fiduciary responsibility to the pension fund is met in full, and investing in quality of life initiatives to benefit all Providence neighborhoods – like the Council’s initiative to save the Federal Hill fountain located in DePasquale Plaza,” said Committee on Finance Chairman and Council Majority Leader John Igliozzi.
But for Federal Hill businesses the broken fountain is a proverbial thumb to the eye by City officials. Some are questioning why it took an onslaught of public attention and meetings with the Elorza administration last week to get a public fountain repaired.
For many on Federal Hill, the incident is just the latest — the area’s merchants and some elected officials like State Representative John Lombardi have raised concerns about the adverse impact that the City’s policy of parking meters has had on business.
There is yet no timetable as to how long the repair will take place. The repairs are expected to begin just as the summer tourism season begins.
The city has yet to explain why the repairs did not take place in the spring before summer events begin.
Related Slideshow: Violence on Federal Hill: A Chronological History
“There is a perception that things were less violent on Federal Hill during the Raymond Patriarca era but I disagree since it is only the NATURE of the violence that has changed," argues former Attorney General Arlene Violet.
To see a brief chronological history of the history of violence on Federal Hill -- from the 19th century through the 1990s -- check out the slides below.
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