“Undoubtedly, this will take many years to accomplish. But we have no time to waste. In the eyes of New England, in the eyes of America, the reputation of Providence has never been higher. Now is the time to act”
Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Jr.
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January, 20, 1999
In January 1999 – on a cold Wednesday morning in the Narragansett Ballroom at the Westin Hotel — Providence Mayor Vincent A. Cianci, Jr. unveiled his ambitious “New Cities” development proposal.
In fact, “ambitious” may be understated.
Cianci spoke of the city’s success in moving rivers – of revitalizing 75 acres of its downtown.
”Now we must turn our attention to the old waterfront along Allens Avenue, the old factory district on the other side of Route 95 from Providence Place and the air rights over Route 95 between Atwells Avenue and Broad Street,” he said. “Redeveloping these areas with the same skill and vision we showed in Capital Center will have the potential to attract billions and billions of new investment and to create tens of thousands of new jobs for the people of Providence and Rhode Island.”
Cianci talked about the potential to create 75 jobs per acre – resulting in at least 26,000 new jobs in the capital city. He talked about raising the necessary capital through a combination of sources, including federal highway dollars, state government, private developers and city resources. He then rolled a film — complete with computer animation – depicting aerial views of the three “New Cities.”
It was vintage Cianci.
A year later, the “New Cities” proposal continues to progress – albeit slowly.
”New Cities” clearly has a long way to go before becoming a reality. Priorities must be set. Financing must be secured. Ultimately, the city will have to acquire now privately owned properties.
For example, along Promenade Street and the Woonasquatucket River, the idea is to create a “Valley Parkway.” Industrial buildings built between 1880 and 1920 dominate the area. Most would have to be acquired and cleared to pave the way for “New Cities.” That element itself, according to the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council, could carry a $75 million price tag.
But perhaps most importantly, the “New Cities” concept is beginning to get some legs under it. A recent report by the Rhode Island Public Expenditures Council, in fact, adds to its credibility. Concurrently, urban planners from throughout the country have been interviewed and contracts have been signed with at least a couple, one from Boston and another from Toronto – marking the beginning of the formal design process.
According to a RIPEC competitiveness study, Cianci faces his share of hurdles in making the “New Cities” dream a reality. The major obstacles include property taxes on tangible items, an aging workforce, limited parking, deteriorating properties and the quality of public schools.
But the RIPEC study seems to suggest that Cianci’s “New Cities” proposal is much more than a far-fetched dream.
RIPEC’s “Providence – New Cities, Economic Competitiveness Study” points out a collection of what it terms “competitive advantages” enjoyed by the capital city. They include a national reputation for quality of life, the re-emergence of retail downtown, a depth of cultural amenities, growing hotel and convention business, comparatively low real estate costs, and established health services.
“It may not be as outlandish as some people may think,” said Peter Marino, RIPEC’s director of policy. “There are opportunities out there. Obviously, they have to prioritize. But they could position themselves to take advantage of all three sites.”
The fact that the city has delivered on major projects in recent years, like the mammoth Providence Place, said Marino, helps to establish a sense of credibility.
“Getting that national recognition and the accolades, because of the range of things the city has done it demonstrates that the city can get things done,” he said. “That sets a stage for a business to see there is opportunity here.”
The three “New Cities” and RIPEC’s assessment of each are;
The Promenade: Located west of Providence Place and running along the Woonasquatucket River, it offers a unique opportunity to provide a competitively priced back office environment to create a job center for surrounding city residents. Potential market opportunities include back office services, retail and family entertainment, and software and information technology.
Narragansett Landing: Located along the waterfront running parallel to Allens Avenue and Interstate 95, it offers a premier waterfront and mixed use development site that can attract significant private investment. Potential market opportunities include a tourism destination attraction, biomedical services, luxury residential and signature office space.
Westminster Crossing: Located along the Route 95 corridor between Atwells Avenue and Broad Street, it offers a potential site to develop middle-priced residential and related neighborhood retail and commercial development, as well as to reconnect these neighborhoods with downtown.
RIPEC’s study includes recommendations for specific strategies considered critical to enhancing the city’s assets while minimizing barriers to development. Highlights of those recommendations include;
Establish a Competitive Tax Structure: Take advantage of the next revaluation and create a more competitive property tax environment to attract and retain business. This should include addressing the tangible tax on office equipment and computers.
Centralize Permitting: Coordinate the permitting process by centralizing efforts and ensuring there is a single point of contact.
Formalize Business Development Process: Establish a New Cities development project scoring matrix to provide an objective system of incentives to encourage development which contributes to the New Cities environment.
Conduct Tourism Feasibility Study: With regional travelers having excellent visibility and access to the city, and in particular, Narragansett Landing, there is a unique opportunity to develop a destination attraction to capture this market.
Enhance Intra-City Linkages: Develop effective linkages (transit and pedestrian) for each New City site to fully integrate the private sector investment in these sites with existing city resources and amenities.
Evaluate Environmental Impacts: Evaluate the potential environmental issues facing the New Cities sites to determine the options and costs associated with development.
Conduct Formal Residential Demand Survey: Prior to embarking on middle and upper income housing developments, the city should confirm the ability of the market to support such an investment.
Enhance Economic Development Capacity: Establish a centralized economic development capacity that includes a citywide business development marketing strategy. As with its permitting process, the city’s economic development capacity needs to be centralized and coordinated into a formal process that includes an investment in an ongoing business development marketing effort.
Establish Formal Livability Promotion Program: Develop a formal promotion campaign for living and working in Providence. This is related to the marketing to businesses in that the city should formally establish a resource to market the livability of Providence to attract and retain middle-income households.
RIPEC’s study includes a caveat of sorts, suggesting that anything can happen when long-term development is undertaken. The report reads; “In recommending targets for each area, we walk a fine line. Market conditions change, and good plans help change to occur. Over the next 20 years, unknown opportunities will certainly arise. “New Cities” should be designed to prepare Providence to take advantage of those opportunities”
Dean Holt, chairman of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors and chairman and chief executive officer of Fleet Bank Rhode Island, believes in the “New Cities” proposal.
“The question is, how do we do it,” he said.
In Providence Place, and other developments, Holt sees examples of success – and evidence that anything is possible. For 20 years, the city was “downtrodden,” Holt said. But that is no longer the case.
“It has become a destination city,” he said. “And this would add a lot to that.”
Patrick McGuigan, executive director of the Providence Plan, said the momentum surrounding the capital city continues to grow.
“The level of excitement and interest in what Providence has done and what it is going to do, you can feel it – you can taste it,” he said. “We are on the map.”
Cianci expects to be back at the Westin Hotel by mid-2000. He may bring a sequel.
“We’ll show the plans that these designers come up with and then we’ll get started with all the acquisitions and all that has to be done,” he said.
