Weiss: The Political Legacy of James E. Doyle
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Over his long career, Mayor James E. Doyle balanced a personal life and very demanding political career through the strong support of his loving family; Joan, his wife of 51 years; his children, Jamie, Cristen, and Joanne; and his grandchildren, Ellen, Caroline, Olivia, Tucker, Chloe, Jamie, Paige.
In 1972, Mayor Doyle was elected and would serve the Pawtucket City Council for more than a quarter of a Century. During this time he served as its President and also chaired the Council’s Finance Committee.
Doyle became the City of Pawtucket’s Mayor in 1997. He would set a political record of becoming the longest consecutive serving Mayor (13 years) since the City’s incorporated in April 1885.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMayor Doyle’s Administration would have a lasting impact on the quality of life and economic vitality of his beloved City.
Doyle's Lasting Impact
In 1999, Mayor Doyle created a 307 acre Arts & Entertainment District, the largest at that time, to bring artists into the City to fill vacant and under- utilized mills. City officials would view artists as small businesses and this economic development policy would become one of Pawtucket’s most successful economic development initiatives in recent times. The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Providence Journal, Providence Business News, The Providence Phoenix and other local newspapers, a 53 minute documentary, “Pawtucket Rising,” and, even a book published in England would detail the City’s successful efforts in building an arts community.
Mayor Doyle brought into the City the Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre, Mixed Magic Theatre, Stone Soup Coffee House, the Foundry Artist Annual Show & Sale to enhance the City’s Arts and Entertainment District. He even created the Pawtucket Arts Festival in 1999 which over 18 years has grown into the largest arts festival in New England bringing tens of thousands of people into the City every September. He was responsible for initially bringing the Rhode Island Philharmonic Pops Orchestra to play at that month-long Arts Festival event.
The Mayor created the Arts Organizational annual grant program to provide funding to 501 c 3 nonprofit art groups to assist them in paying operational costs. Today, Pawtucket is the only City or Town offering this assistance. He also created the first juried art panel to annually award grants for art programming.
Eighteen years ago, Doyle enhanced the City of Pawtucket Calendar, chock full of information about City programs and services, by adding the winning photos from the City’s Photo contest, selected by professional photographers.
Mayor Doyle also bought the Pawtucket Armory from the state of Rhode Island for just a dollar to transform it into a thriving arts center. Later the property would be given to the nonprofit Pawtucket Amory Association to renovate, housing the JWS of the Performing arts and the Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theater.
For arts advocacy, Mayor Doyle and the City of Pawtucket were recognized for efforts by being presented the Arts Advocacy Award by Arts & Business Council of Rhode Island in 2004.
Mayor Doyle was also directly responsible for the start of the renovation of the City’s Mill buildings into residential use. The first effort, Riverfront Lofts, could not secure financing to do the development project. The Mayor used the City’s Redevelopment Agency to guarantee the needed financing. The success of this first mill conversion in Pawtucket enabled all of the other mill projects to be financed by private banks. Baily Lofts, Slater Cotton Lofts, The Lofts 25, all came on line, their financing was made possible because of the success of Riverfront lofts. These redeveloped mills have brought hundreds of new residents into the City. In 2005, a California developer began to revitalize Hope Artiste Village, a long vacant 650,000 sf mill building, back to use. Today, this historic mill is filled to the brim with over 150 small businesses employing an estimated 500 people.
Mayor Doyle and the City of Pawtucket was acknowledged for his innovative economic development achievements by many organizations during his years as Mayor. In 2003, the U.S. Conference of Mayors recognized Pawtucket (for its arts initiative) and 27 other municipalities for having the best small business practice cities in the country. The Northern Rhode Island Chamber gave him its 2004 Barbara Burlingame Award to recognize his outstanding contribution to the business community.
Meanwhile, in 2006, the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission would present him with its prestigious John H. Chaffee Public Service Award for his City’s efforts to preserve the City’s historic mills. That year, he would also receive the Senator Chafee Heritage Award from the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley Heritage Corridor for revitalizing Pawtucket through the arts.
Doyle would give his blessings and strong support to create the Pawtucket Foundation in 2001. Since its creation this 501 (C) 3 nonprofit has worked closely with his administration and now Mayor Donald R. Grebien, to revitalize the City’s economy. For his tireless efforts to revitalize Pawtucket’s economy the Pawtucket Foundation present him with its Heritage Award in 2011.
At the beginning of Doyle’s Administration, the City had close to 250 abandoned, blighted properties scattered throughout the City. The Mayor successfully lobbied the General Assembly to strengthen the City’s Housing Court. He put together an interdepartmental task force to wage his war on the owners on these properties. Ultimately, only 31 properties would remain on the list, to be closely monitored by the City’s Zoning Department during this initiative.
Mayor Doyle successfully lobbied the Department of transportation to give the agency design input culled from a Task Force of Pawtucket artisans, artists and designers. His initial efforts led to the construction of a new 82 million dollar iconic bridge that incorporates art deco design into its structure reflecting the architectural elements in Pawtucket City Hall and Tolman High School.
Under Doyle’s Administration, a state-of-the-art dog pound was built along with a skateboard Park and the former Peerless building was developed to house the City’s Visitor Center, the Department of Planning and Redevelopment, along with several other small businesses. The Mayor put his energy into recreating the former City zoo into a passive City farm, “Daggett Farm.”
During his term as Mayor, a $46 million dollar state-of-the-art treatment plant was built and became operation in March 2008. During his tenure the Pawtucket Water Supply Board began a system-wide rehabilitation and replacement of the piping network.
Through Doyle’s efforts he was able to get the Division Street property donated by GM to the City for a $1. Today, under City ownership, a developer plans to develop the 11 acre site to build a medical office and residential apartments expected to cost about $ 45 million.
Also the Mayor Doyle’s beginning efforts ultimately have led to the development of the City’s new Festival Pier, and the new the Conant Street Bridge.
Mayor Doyle even charged his wife, Joan and friend, Stan Lachut, to spearhead a turkey basket drive for Pawtucket’s needy in 1998, over 1,500 baskets away in 13 years. This tradition is still carried on today by First Lady Laureen Grebien.
Finally, one of the most important efforts started by Mayor Doyle, in partnership with the Pawtucket Foundation, was the effort that began in 2005 to develop a Commuter Rail Station in Pawtucket/Central Falls. Under Mayor Doyle’s Administration, the City funded the required local share to allow the initial Feasibility Study for the Commuter Rail Station to happen. That study showed that a station would be successfully in Pawtucket, and currently RIDOT has publicly announced that the project is moving forward with an anticipated completion date of 2019.
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