Jillian Finkle is the coordinator of the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative, which is a project tying together three communities in the Blackstone Valley: Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cumberland. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in museum studies from George Washington University. Her position is funded part time, through a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation. She spoke recently to the Providence Business News about the project and a new survey of property owners.
PBN: Describe the focus of the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative.
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FINKLE: The Broad Street Regeneration Initiative is a collaborative effort between Pawtucket, Central Falls, Cumberland, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and many partners to revitalize the Broad Street corridor. Right now, the three municipalities are working with the R.I. Department of Transportation on an $11.5 million road-improvement project that includes streetscape improvements such as sidewalks, crosswalks and drainage, as well as resurfacing the road itself. Because the design begins this fall, this project is our primary focus for the moment, but as the work progresses we will be able to focus more on economic development, tourism and placemaking.
PBN: You are conducting a survey of business owners and property owners along Broad Street. What are some of the questions?
FINKLE: This survey is trying to identify the specific priorities for the road improvements. Broad Street is 3 miles long, so we need to be strategic about our use of resources. The business owners and community members know best exactly what is needed in order to have the biggest possible positive impact, and that is what we are collecting. Anyone with an interest in Broad Street is invited to participate – it is available in both Spanish and English at www.mybroadstreetri.com.
PBN: If businesses are interested in freshening up facades and making exterior improvements, are loans or grants available?
FINKLE: Currently, the cities of Pawtucket and Central Falls both offer façade-improvement programs, and there are also periodic business workshops, free business counseling and networking events. I post these opportunities on the Broad Street Facebook page and I’m working with the Initiative partners to compile a list of business resources that will be shared on the website.
PBN: What is the challenge in working with three communities? Does it make the coordination of efforts more difficult?
FINKLE: It’s actually very unusual for three municipalities to be working together in this way. I think the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative serves as a model of how cities, state agencies and nonprofit partners can come together around shared goals – it’s truly inspirational! Of course, there are the schedules of more than 30 extremely busy people to juggle, so setting up meetings can sometimes take a while but the result is absolutely worth the effort.
PBN: What is the hope for the future for this corridor, to create economic-development interest?
FINKLE: The vision for Broad Street is a thriving, walkable, multi-community Main Street that celebrates the area’s diverse culture and rich history. There’s already so much momentum, from the new Pawtucket-Central Falls train station to the Landing project on the Blackstone River, and beyond. The bones are there, with many historic structures still intact, and you’ll never find kinder or more-welcoming people. Of course, there is plenty of work to be done, but every day I discover another surprise, another new business on Broad Street that I didn’t know was there. It’s going to be my job to get the secret out and make sure that everyone knows about this hidden gem of a place and all of the exciting things happening here.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Email her at MacDonald@PBN.com, or you can follow her on Twitter @MaryF_MacDonald.
