The smart growth crowd extols the virtues of mixed-use redevelopment of blighted urban, industrial landscapes. And with good reason.
Properties that have been redeveloped – such as the Promenade and The Plant in Providence and Royal Mills at Riverpoint in West Warwick – have done wonders for the buildings themselves as well as for the communities that have benefited from the investment.
But in so many cases, the redevelopments focus on residential uses. That may work well, but not necessarily. After all, forcing a condominium or apartment into an old industrial building may not be the best use for that space.
For that reason, the rehabilitation of an Olneyville mill for industrial uses is news.
The space at 91 Hartford Ave., being renovated slowly by the owner/occupant of the building, is designed for small industrial companies. We recognize that high-tech startups are particularly enticing to the state’s economic development authorities, but they also know that good manufacturing jobs are part of a strong, diversified economy. It is thus encouraging to see such signs of creative redevelopment. •