Caroline Skuncik | Executive director, I-195 Redevelopment District Commission
1. Why doesn’t the I-195 district require affordable and workforce housing in residential developments? Increasing affordable housing in Providence is important, and we recognize that this is an area for improvement. In our last two [requests for proposals], we included a preference for workforce housing and as a result, workforce housing is included in the proposals on parcels 6 and 28.
2. Explain how your work at R.I. Commerce Corp. prepared you for the executive director position at the I-195 commission? At Commerce RI, I was involved in the earliest phases of the Rebuild Rhode Island program and gained a deep understanding of the real estate market and the incentives and economic-development tools available for those investing in projects here. Commerce RI is an important partner for the commission, and the relationships I developed there have been helpful with my work with the 195 commission.
3. How is the district attracting developers to the remaining parcels? The commission and Commerce RI are working cooperatively on marketing and business-development strategies that drive interest in the district, a collaboration that has been a priority of Gov. [Gina M.] Raimondo’s administration. The recent opening of the Wexford building and the pedestrian bridge have also generated a lot of momentum as developers can see the district take shape.
4. Many critics say development is too slow in the district. What are some ways it can be expedited? I’ll push back on that assertion. There was a tremendous amount of legal, environmental and permitting work that had to happen before the land was “shovel-ready” and often that is overlooked. We’re excited about the progress we have seen and are looking forward to seeing the district continue to take shape and be a thriving part of downtown Providence.
Besides the Wexford building, an apartment complex is under construction on Chestnut Street, an Aloft Hotel is expected to break ground [adjacent to the Wexford building] later this year and two other projects are expected to break ground in 2020. Looking ahead, the passage of the special economic-development district legislation requires the commission to adopt a new development plan and this creates an opportunity to further streamline our processes, including design review.
5. What is the most challenging aspect of guiding development in the district? The economics of development in Providence are an ongoing challenge, as rents are not high enough to generate a market return on most new construction.
Mary MacDonald is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Macdonald@PBN.com.
