Report: Innovation must be focus of Providence development, and footprint must go beyond I-195 land

PROVIDENCE — A national consultant has advised the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission to create a business innovation district in Providence that is larger than the existing footprint of undeveloped land, and to create an advisory council that would include the perspectives of anchor industries and universities.
The report by HR&A Advisors Inc., based in New York, was delivered Monday afternoon in an unusual joint meeting of the I-195 Commission and R.I. Commerce Corp. board. The analysis included descriptions of successful launches of innovation districts in other North American cities that, like Providence, were once known for other industries.
Some of the districts offered as comparisons, to provide lessons in how other communities attracted new industry, were Cortex in St. Louis, Midtown in Detroit, and the Kitchener-Waterloo district in Ontario, Canada.
In discussion, board members described the report as providing a framework for future development of the district.
HR&A recommended nine steps, including in the near-future: formation of an advisory council that would guide the development of the district by including senior leaders of anchor institutions and private businesses.
The consultants also recommended Rhode Island think more broadly about the innovation district, and broaden its geography to include more areas of downtown Providence.
Additional short-term recommendations include appointing additional staff for the I-195 commission, supporting the proposed CV Properties LLC/Wexford Science & Technology development for the district, and ensuring construction of the Garrahy parking garage.
The consultants said the parking garage is needed to attract commercial tenants.
In their presentation, HR&A senior advisor Andy Altman and principal Kate Wittels said that the district would need a focus to attract additional industry. Branding the district will be critical to that, they said.
Rhode Island’s potential economic strengths cut across several industries, they said, including biomedical innovation, cyber and data analysis, maritime industries, design and materials, transportation, and arts and tourism.
The working title of the consultants’ report, the “Providence Innovation and Design District,” refers to the understanding that both innovation and design industries will be a focus for the district, according to Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor.
The state can leverage the investment being made by higher education, he said.
“Simultaneously, there are three schools of engineering under construction in Rhode Island,” he said.
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, who attended the meeting, said in many ways the report confirms the instincts of the state’s economic development authorities.
“Some takeaways are, you really need to focus on design,” Raimondo said. “We spend a lot of time talking about technology and health care. That convergence, of digital and design, and engineering and design, is in hot demand in this economy and will continue to be. And we have that. We have that, with RISD and Brown and URI.”
And while the involvement of universities is critical to the district, she said, it needs investment by commercial enterprises to succeed.
“This has to be an industrial, corporate, or commercially focused and underpinned effort. We love our institutions of higher ed, but they are nonprofit. We need this to be underpinned with commercial entities.”
To see the ful HR&A Advisors report, click HERE.

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