Downtown is where Paolino’s heart is

A CITY FOCUS: Former Providence Mayor Joseph R. Paolino is leading the effort to make Kennedy Plaza less confrontational and – according to him and other business leaders – more hospitable to businesspeople and visitors. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
A CITY FOCUS: Former Providence Mayor Joseph R. Paolino is leading the effort to make Kennedy Plaza less confrontational and – according to him and other business leaders – more hospitable to businesspeople and visitors. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

From an economic development perspective, it’s safe to say that Joseph R. Paolino Jr. has a broad overview and robust perspective of Rhode Island revitalization. He’s served as Providence mayor – twice. He was appointed U.S. ambassador to Malta in 1994 and is former director of the R.I. Department of Economic Development.

But it’s the venture into real-estate investment that has powerfully rounded out Paolino’s skill set to the benefit of Providence. He began buying up city buildings. Managing partner of the fourth-generation Paolino Properties firm, he is the only Rhode Islander to own a Providence high-rise.

His background in politics and economic development fuels Paolino’s strategy in building up city assets, including 100 Westminster, the aforementioned 20-story tower in the city center.

But he truly has a statewide perspective. Paolino Properties owns buildings where Hasbro Industries is located in East Providence, part of Paolino’s strategy to host job-creating companies in the area. The firm owns the Parkade in Cranston and the Vanderbilt Residences on Newport Harbor.

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But as chair of Providence Downtown Improvement District, Paolino leads a collaboration with Mayor Jorge O. Elorza and more than 40 city and social-service agencies to improve downtown safety and quality of life in Kennedy Plaza. The area has been plagued by homelessness and panhandling, often fueled by addiction and mental illness.

While recent grants will fund extra staffing and efforts to reach out to this population via social service agencies, DID is also seeking private donations to pay for more outreach over a longer period of time.

The district and the Providence Foundation see this effort as key to downtown economic development.

Paolino is also looking to bring more companies here. •

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