PROVIDENCE – Spanning high above the entrance to the park, a long set of bright, multicolored fins is meant to represent the diversity and vibrancy of small businesses lining Broad Street in South Providence, as part of the Roger Williams Park Gateway project that aims to turn what was once a blighted lot into a welcoming destination.
“The gateway will be an integral part of the revitalization of Broad Street, bringing renewed interest to the area and encouraging new visitors to experience everything our neighborhood has to offer,” said Providence City Councilman Pedro Espinal of Ward 10. “This project is a shining example of what we can accomplish when we creatively invest in our public spaces.”
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Providence elected leaders, city officials, and community members gathered for a groundbreaking on Tuesday at 1201 Broad St. at a blighted lot on the perimeter of the park, currently the site of a small restaurant building that’s been shuttered for more than 10 years, where the Roger Williams Park Gateway will be constructed with a new visitors center, restrooms, play areas and the colorful fin decorations placed high above the entrance to the facility.
The Roger Williams Gateway Center project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2022, according to the Providence Department of Planning and Development.
Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza said the project is an important part of the ongoing revitalization of the Broad Street corridor, a cultural hub that began to form more than 60 years ago, with a large, diverse Latino community. Elorza said the project incorporated community input and received support from organizations such as the Elmwood Neighborhood Association, Quisqueya in Action, and RI Latino Arts.
“Today’s groundbreaking highlights our community’s commitment to innovative solutions for blight in our neighborhoods,” said Elorza, in a prepared statement about the new welcome center. “The integration of new green infrastructure, innovative design, and community input will soon allow for another brilliant, shared space in South Providence.”
The Roger Williams Gateway project cost roughly $5 million, supported by the state-funded Acquisition and Revitalization Program overseen by R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp., along with financial support from the Providence Redevelopment Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal American Rescue Plan Act, said Carol Ventura, executive director of R.I. Housing, a self-supporting public agency created in 1973 to support affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families.
“R.I. Housing has helped fund numerous housing developments in South Providence and along the Broad Street corridor,” said Carol Ventura, executive director of R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. “These investments will be enhanced by the Gateway project, which will breathe new life into the community.”
The project is being led by the Providence Redevelopment Agency, in partnership with the Providence Department of Planning and Development and the Providence Parks Department.
The Providence Department of Planning and Development said the boarded up “El Fogon” building that’s currently standing at the 1201 Broad Street site would be demolished soon after the groundbreaking. The property has been unoccupied since the El Fogon Latino restaurant moved down to 1100 Broad St. more than a decade ago.
Roger Williams Park, also known as the “The People’s Park of Providence,” is comprised of more than 435 acres of public space, including lakes, fields, biking paths, playgrounds, picnic areas, monuments, sculptures, a museum, a garden, “Carousel Village,” and a zoo, attracting more than 1.5 million visitors annually, according to the Providence Parks Department.
Correction: The project is projected to cost roughly $5 million.
Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com.
