5 Big Stories in Rhode Island This Week - December 2, 2023

#5

New Partner in Providence Port Operation Linked to 7 Workers Deaths in 10 Years

There is a new major player at ProvPort and at port operations in East Providence — SSA Marine.

The mega-company is based out of Seattle, Washington. 

A GoLocal review found a series of safety violations and numerous worker deaths tied to SSA Marine's operations.

The company, its related company, SSA Terminal, and its parent company, Carrix, have been hit with millions in safety and environment fines, according to the website Violation Tracker.

Carrix is owned by the $40 billion Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, "the world’s largest alternative asset manager."

7 Workers Deaths in 10 Years

SSA Marine has a checkered track record on worker safety and is tied to multiple worker deaths. According to CAL/OSHA reports and other news sources, seven workers died in ten years.

Less than two weeks ago, Waterson Terminal Services, LLC, the operator at ProvPort, and SSA Marine announced they "agreed to enter into a joint venture to invest in WTS and support its continued growth as a leading provider of terminal management and stevedoring services for bulk, breakbulk, automobile, and offshore wind customers in New England.”

On Wednesday, it was announced the triad of ProvPort, Waterson Terminal, and SSA Marine signed a lease to develop East Providence’s "South Quay."

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#4

Superman Building Developer Wants to Remove Fire Suppression System

Providence Fire Chief Derek Silva is voicing his opposition to the proposed plan submitted by the Superman developer to the City of Providence to remove the sprinkler system during the internal demolition of the building.

Specifically, High Rock Westminster, the corporation that owns the building, has applied for “Demolition of existing sprinkler system in High Rise building,” according to city records and Silva.

The Superman Building is 26 stories tall — 428 feet.

Silva told GoLocal, “We oppose this plan; it is a violation of the fire code.”

According to the fire code:

High-rise modifications —Existing high-rise buildings, including those containing student-occupied assembly occupancies, shall be protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with this [law]. 

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#3

EXCLUSIVE: Brown University Has Received Over $11M in Funding From Palestine

Brown University has received millions in funding from sources in “Palestinian Territories,” according to a review of federal data by GoLocal. 

The United States Department of Education “requires institutions of higher education that receive Federal financial assistance to disclose semiannually to the U.S. Department of Education any gifts received from and contracts with a foreign source that, alone or combined, are valued at $250,000 or more in a calendar year.”

According to the “College Foreign Gift and Contract Report” — Brown University has received $11,692,251 from sources in “Palestinian Territories” over an indeterminate amount of time. 

Federal records show that the biggest gifts include separate $2,000,000 donations — including one to “support an assistant professorship at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, with preference for Security Studies.”

In addition, records show two entries from "Palestinian Territories" of $643,000 which state “the purpose of the Fund is to provide support for a Professorship in Palestinian Studies within Middle East Studies.”

The professor who those gifts supported is Beshara B Doumani, the Mahmoud Darwish Professor of Palestinian Studies at Brown. He also simultaneously has served as the President of Birzeit University from 2021 to 2023, located in the Palestinian West Bank territory. His Brown University bio does not mention his role heading the Palestinian University, but his Birzeit bio features his role at Brown.

When Doumani was named to the Presidency at Birzeit, the American conservation publication the American Spectator wrote, "Palestine’s ‘Terrorist University’ Picks Ivy League Prof as New President."

The Birzeit University was raided in September of 2023, and eight students were arrested by Israeli Defense Forces for suspected ties to a terror plot.

The Times of Israel reported in September, "The students, from Birzeit University near Ramallah, were nabbed following an investigation into Hamas cells in Palestinian educational institutions, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet said. They were allegedly recruited by Hamas operatives in Gaza, receiving weaponry intended for the attack."

Doumani was the featured speaker at the Brown University vigil on Tuesday -- an event closed to the press.

According to the federal database, Brown reported gifts and contracts from countries including England, Spain, Thailand, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and more. 

It did not report any donations from Israel to Brown. 

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#2

EXCLUSIVE: Top Rhode Island Businessman Pushing to Build Baseball Stadium in Providence

Providence-based businessman Art Solomon owns one baseball team, once tried to buy the Pawtucket Red Sox, and is now working to build a new minor league stadium in Providence.

In 2004, Solomon’s bid to purchase the PawSox from the late Ben Mondor was rebuffed.

But within a year or so Solomon had purchased the major interest in the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats — the affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Solomon has owned the team since.

For five years, he owned another minor league team — a high-A Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

In December 2013, Solomon sold the team to Manhattan Capital Sports, headed by Stuart Katzoff. Solomon's children own the Hartford Yard Goats. who play in the Eastern League and are a Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies.

Solomon literally wrote the book on minor league sports ownership, "Making It in the Minors: A Team Owner's Lessons in the Business of Baseball."

Make no mistake about it: Solomon made his wealth on Wall Street and in real estate.

Owning minor league teams has been a passion.

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#1

Superman Building Interior Demo Started - Crew of Only 5 is Working Onsite

GoLocal has confirmed that the much anticipated interior demolition of the Superman building has finally begun, but for the past three weeks, only five workers have been onsite.

State officials had promised the project would create 1,500 construction jobs over the course of the rehab.

The developer, High Rock Westminster, has repeatedly promised the interior demolition of the building and that it would be spending upwards of $25 million.

First, on October 3, the developer announced in a press release that interior demolition of the building was beginning. “The first phase of the project will include interior demolition, asbestos abatement, and other work preparing various aspects of the building for restoration, totaling approximately $25 million dollars. This phase is expected to take six to nine months. No public tax dollars are being expended at this time,” said High Rock on October 3.

Further, they promised that the demolition would begin in October.

That did not happen.

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