NEW: Cianci Announces Vision for Waterfront Revitalization
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
Independent candidate for mayor of Providence Vincent "Buddy" Cianci unveiled his vision for a new Allens Avenue waterfront today, emphasizing its potential to generate tax revenue and job creation opportunities, while declining to go into specifics regarding the cost of such a project or how long it would take to implement.
"My vision for the waterfront could generate 10-15 million dollars in new tax revenue or more, and holds the potential for a thousand or more new jobs," said Cianci.
Cianci was joined by Providence City Councilmember Luis Aponte, as well as Mark Mendell and Sebastian Martellotto of Cannon Design who were commissioned by the Cianci campaign to design the new mixed-use shoreline envisioned by Cianci.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to Cianci, the implementation of his vision will be good for the economy, the environment, and the city's taxbase and a source of "economic justice" for Providence's South Side.
"For too long this section of the city has been a convenient dumping spot for relocated scrap yards, polluting industries, strip clubs, and other uses not wanted in other neighborhoods of the city," said Cianci.
When asked how his vision for the waterfront compares to that of Democratic mayoral candidate Jorge Elorza, Cianci was dismissive of his opponents' plan to increase exports.
"Elorza says he wants to export, but I don't know what he plans to export. Design? That's what the internet is for. Security services? Used cars to Guatemala? We are not in the used car business we are in the jobs business," said Cianci.
Working Waterfront vs. Mixed Use Neighborhood
"My plan calls for an expanded working waterfront, and a new mixed use neighborhood for the Allens Avenue waterfront," said Cianci, who made a point to emphasize his support for a working waterfront.
"In total the city's waterfront area from National Grid's electric generating facility to the southern end of Field's Point contains approximately 346 aces. My plan calls for reserving 284 acres of 82% of that area for industrial and/or water dependent uses," said Cianci.
Cianci envisions using the remaining 18 percent or 62 acres of the stretch of land for medical research facilities linked to the Lifespan campus, a 200-slip marina and a possible maritime museum, an extended stay hotel linked to the hopital campus, and large open spaces to accomodate soccer fields, waterfront and ethnic festivals and other gatherings.
Shortly following the press conference, the Providence Working Waterfront Alliance issued a statement outlining their strong opposition to Cianci's waterfront plan, which threatens hundreds of blue collar jobs and thousands of water-dependent and industrial business related jobs, according to spokesperson Chris Hunter.
"The Providence Working Waterfront Alliance is strongly opposed to candidate Vincent Cianci’s so called 'waterfront plan,' which is little more than a rehashing of the failed Narragansett Landing plan released by Mr. Cianci some 15 years ago. Put simply, this 'plan' threatens hundreds of good paying blue collar jobs and over a thousand related jobs provided by water-dependent and industrial businesses along the Allens Avenue corridor in the Port of Providence. Hotels, condominiums, and recreational marinas are simply incompatible with the heavy industrial character of our neighborhood," said Hunter.
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