Cicilline looks to infrastructure work for stimulus

PROVIDENCE – As part of a push by the United States Conference of Mayors, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline this month presented plans to stimulate the economy and grow jobs through federally funded infrastructure projects.
Cicilline was one of the U.S. Conference of Mayors representatives who traveled to Washington, D.C., to pitch the idea of funneling federal money into city projects to improve the national economy.
The list Cicilline pitched for Providence includes $20 million for the renovation of the Amtrak train station; $2.5 million for the dredging of the Providence and Woonasquatucket rivers; $20 million for the rehabilitation of city fire stations and development of a new training facility; $12.7 million for three 1,500-kilowatt (kW) wind turbines at Fields Point; $5 million for renovations at Providence City Hall; $160 million for school renovations; and $10 million for the repair of 18 miles of city sidewalk.
The Providence projects, which total $584.963 million, would create an estimated 7,463.5 full-time jobs, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Providence is one of 427 cities asking for $73 billion that would create more than 840,000 new jobs.
“If Congress is serious about an economic recovery that will create jobs, grow our economy and help rebuild our cities and strengthen our country, then sending those resources to cities so that mayors can do this work is a critically important strategy,” Cicilline says in a video that is available for viewing at the city Web site.
He also included in the city’s proposal a $20 million streetcar system and a $47 million, 1,000-space parking garage for the Garrahy Judicial Complex.
For additional information about The U.S. Conference of Mayors and its Mainstreet Economic Recovery plan, visit www.USMayors.org/MainStreetEconomicRecovery. For news and information from the City of Providence, or to see the video of Mayor David N. Cicilline talking about the USCM plan, visit www.ProvidenceRI.com.