Pawtucket is undergoing some major changes when it comes to real estate development, and the city government, led by Mayor Donald R. Grebien, is playing a major role in the future of several important properties. They include: the former Apex furniture store; a vacant medical office; the former McCoy Stadium site, where a new high school is planned; and several riverfront properties where a soccer stadium and hotel are in the works.
Grebien, who has been mayor since 2011, recently hired Sen. Sandra C. Cano, D-Pawtucket, to be the city’s director of commerce to help navigate these developments.
PBN: How do you feel about the city finally reaching a resolution for the Apex property after so many years of negotiations and then litigation?
GREBIEN: We are very excited to have gotten to where we are with Apex so that we can move forward with the redevelopment of the riverfront. It has been a long road, but I am pleased with the team here in Pawtucket and thank them for all of their hard work along with the partnership with the [City] Council and the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency. Pawtucket is experiencing a renaissance, and this is a big piece in that.
PBN: What are the city’s plans for the sites? If you don’t have concrete plans yet, what do you generally wish to accomplish there?
GREBIEN: As of right now, there are leaseback provisions in the settlement, which allow the businesses located on the site to phase out their business at the location and move elsewhere.
Other future opportunities and options are still being considered, but the main focus is to develop to bring a critical mass to this property and promote new opportunities in the area, which connects our downtown to the future home of a USL [United Soccer League] … team at Tidewater Landing.
PBN: Pawtucket recently announced it was acquiring a former medical office at 160 Beechwood Ave. and another property at 305 Owen Ave. with plans to develop affordable housing. Why did you want to do that and what are your hopes for the site?
GREBIEN: We are always working hard to increase the supply of affordable apartment units and homes across Pawtucket. We have just released the Pawtucket 2021-22 Affordable Housing Report, which highlighted the properties at 160 Beechwood Avenue and 305 Owen Avenue, which are the location for future affordable housing projects. For those projects, we hope to get 10 units and two units, respectively.
The requests for proposals for these two properties for redevelopment have been posted to the Pawtucket website and we are looking for developers interested in rehabilitating and enhancing the properties to provide new housing units.
PBN: What’s the latest news about the Tidewater Landing project and how do you expect this project to impact the city’s economy?
GREBIEN: The Tidewater Landing project continues to progress, and recently the Pawtucket City Council helped to move it along with the next step in the process, creating a destination and waterfront spaces. We know that this project will help to build new infrastructure for the riverfront, creating a destination, green space, living spaces and waterfront access.
PBN: Aside from the Tidewater Landing project, what can be done to improve business activity in the downtown area?
GREBIEN: We are always looking to promote our downtown, even recently held a small-business event to help draw attention to the businesses in that area along Main Street. We know that promoting loan and grant opportunities, our small businesses, and generally building our commerce here in Pawtucket is important. We are excited to continue to build on the progress happening in Pawtucket and are pleased to be bringing on Sen. Sandra Cano as our commerce director in the new year.
Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockPBN.
