Federal Hill at War With Itself — Many Businesses Warned About Violence at Festivals and Al Fresco Dining, Now It Happened

Federal Hill at War With Itself — Many Businesses Warned About Violence at Festivals and Al Fresco Dining, Now It Happened

In May, the Providence Board of Licenses considered the Federal Hill Commerce Association's request for a series of street closures to support al fresco dining.

 

But those hearings exposed a deep divide on Federal Hill. Francois Karam, who operates OPA on Atwells Avenue, said the street closures adversely impact business and create an unsafe environment. He was not alone. A number of business owners said their businesses drop by 40% to 60% when the street is closed for al fresco dining. They raised concerns about safety.

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Karam is a harsh critic of the Federal Hill Commerce Association, which he says fails to represent many of the businesses in the area. He calls it "pay to play."

 

Dozens of others testified or submitted letters in opposition.

 

Then, there were the supporters — about an equal number.

 

About 70 neighbors and business operators testified or submitted comments for or against the street closures.

 

The Board of Licenses overwhelmingly approved the al fresco dining for the Summer. 

 

At the St. Joseph Festival event on Saturday night, a motorcyclist drove down the closed area of Atwells Avenue, and then a man threw a garbage can at the motorcyclist.  The motorcycle crashed into a dining tent and appeared to injure a man.

 

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Chief Perez Discusses Incident and the Closures

On Sunday, GoLocal reached out to Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez, who said, “We have heard concerns from the business owners regarding the event’s footprint and frequency. Through the City’s special event review process, we worked with the merchant association to reduce the frequency of the event, establish stronger contingency plans, and make appropriate recommendations for larger street closures when necessary.”

 

Perez added, “With respect to the recent incident, the investigation remains ongoing. Based on the information available at this time, this appears to have been an isolated incident involving a motorcycle operator acting recklessly. We will continue to reevaluate whether any additional measures or actions are necessary to collaborate with the stakeholders and make changes if necessary.”

 

Rick Simone of the Federal Hill Commerce Association, who has led the supporters of the outdoor dining, said in a text to GoLocal, “Last evening [Saturday], during the Saint Joseph Festival on Federal Hill, an unfortunate incident involving a motorcycle occurred."

 

“As with all major events on Federal Hill, there was a significant presence of Providence Police and private security personnel on site. Based on the information provided to us by law enforcement, we are grateful to report that there were no serious injuries resulting from the incident,” added Simone.

 

He claimed there is a difference between festivals and al fresco dining security.

 

Karam told GoLocal in an email, “It is no different.. They close the street in the same manner.”

 

The Saturday night incident raises concerns about security and the ability to protect visitors in high-traffic areas.

 

“I understand the concerns and the questions being raised, as well as the interests of the many stakeholders involved. While this appears to be an isolated incident, we will continue working collaboratively to evaluate what additional safety and security measures may be appropriate moving forward. Our focus remains on ensuring the event can be conducted as safely as possible for everyone involved,” added Perez.