New I-195 Redevelopment District Commission Chairman Marc Crisafulli told Providence Business News recently he wants to see the panel focus less on residential properties.
“I really want to try and get back to the roots of the mission of the commission, focus on economic and commercial development,” said Crisafulli, who retired last fall as president of Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort and Bally’s Tiverton Casino & Hotel.
“When you look at the residential buildings, we’ve got a good base,” he said. “Now we want to try and focus as much as we can on getting more commercial activity in the 195 district.”
Caroline Skuncik, executive director of the commission, agrees it is trying to move away from residential in favor of commercial developments. But it’s all about finding the right balance between residential and commercial projects.
Seven of the original 24 parcels that are part of the district have been sold, eight are under contract and nine remain available to purchase.
What you have here is an example of “playing to the choir” rather than providing any insightful, realistic, and broader vision of how these parcels of land fit into the entire concept of downtown Providence. So the complaints voiced by NIMBY type critics have registered with the new Commission Chairman so he is now claiming a new direction. Really. Does the Commission have the people resources and budget to actively go after commercial projects in a development mode. How does this mesh with the responsibilities and efforts of the RI Commerce Corp.?
Richard, I couldn’t agree more with your assessment. The market should determine best use of the land.