When Brown wants to find space to build, it does so more often than not by the wrecking ball. It could remove outdated existing Brown structures, but instead, it moves to tear down often historic multifamily homes.
In some cases, Brown has demolished houses for the purpose of building new student housing, but too often and now at an epidemic level, Brown is demolishing for other reasons — branded buildings, and then selling the naming rights.
The number one issue facing Providence is the cost of housing. Homes that cost $400,000 before COVID now sell for more than $1 million.
Clean and safe apartments that were $1,200 are now $2,500 a month.
This super inflation in the increase in the cost of housing has not been caused by Brown, but has been exacerbated by the University.
Now, in a blatant thumb to the eye of Providence, and especially those who are house or apartment poor — this Brown demolition strategy is an insult.
The homes that Brown promised would be rehabilitated or sold for private use and returned to housing are being proposed for demolition. Brown is in full bulldozer mode.
Four multi-family homes on Brook Street with the combined capacity for 50 or so residents are now targeted for Brown's wrecking ball.
It's ironic that Brown wants to tear down the homes for a new economics building, as the University lives in its own economic reality.
In the 1990s, a “Grand Bargain” was struck between Brown and the City of Providence to give a clear path for the University’s future development with the definition of its institutional zone.
Since then, it has abused and blown through that compromise, gobbling up real estate outside of its institutional zone. Buying and selling structures and land areas of the city and holding them for years. Many times, failing to improve or develop the properties - simply to hoard them.
Smiley seems subservient to Brown’s desires, refusing to even balance Brown’s expansionary fervor with Providence’s housing needs.
Maybe housing advocates would not be seeking the extremes of rent control to try to slow the pace of rising housing costs if Smiley and Brown were more attuned to the realities of the increased cost of living in Providence.
It is time to put a moratorium on Brown's wrecking ball
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