It is early afternoon on Prairie Avenue in the heart of South Providence and the skies are gray. Not far away Amos House – one of the busiest soup kitchens in Rhode Island – is crowded. It’s always crowded at Amos House.
Many of the old tenement houses along Prairie Avenue and the side streets that run off it are in disrepair. There are vacant businesses. There are battered cars.
ISO 9001:2026: A Practical Opportunity to Build for What’s Next
For Rhode Island manufacturers, ISO 9001 has been much more than a certificate on the…
Learn More
But at 516 Prairie Avenue there is brightness. There is a business owner with a drive and determination to do things right. And there are family and community members determined to help.
Marcia Carpenter lives on the South Side of Providence. Along with her husband, Theeartis, she has worked in real estate there for three decades. When friends and family members suggested transforming a decrepit building into a self-service laundromat, and adjacent pizza restaurant, she embraced the idea.
That’s good news for the people who live in the neighborhood surrounding Prairie Avenue. A healthy dose of Marcia Carpenter’s spirit and determination is a good thing for any neighborhood.
Carpenter owns the fledgling business, South Side Spin, along with Theeartis. A son, Robert, will manage the Laundromat. A daughter, Tracey Degaitas, is also a partner. The adjacent South Side Paulies Pizza will be owned and operated by the Carpenter’s son-in-law, Paul Degaitas, who is relocating the restaurant from the city’s Armory District.
The businesses are going to be run right. That’s the kind of tone Marcia Carpenter sets. She wouldn’t have things any other way.
That’s why South Side Spin sparkles. The walls are bright. The washers and dryers are all first class. It will be the same way next door.
”I think the South Side deserves to have a business that would look no different than if it were on the East Side,” Carpenter said. “We deserve this as much as anyone else.”
Carpenter’s history of working to improve the inner city, her determination to succeed and a solid business plan were enough to secure financing from BankBoston’s First Community Bank, BankBoston Development Company, the Small Business Administration, the City of Providence Economic Development Corporation, and the Minority Investment Development Corporation.
Joseph Monteiro, vice president of lending for BankBoston Development Company (BBDC), said the bank was pleased that Carpenter and her family came forward to fill a need in the community.
Just a mile or so away, in downtown Providence, a $450 million mall is being built. National chains are pouring in millions to build hotels. It’s a long way from Prairie Avenue, where progress is measured in decidedly smaller steps.
”We’re trying to make sure we capture that renaissance and bring it to South Providence,” said Monteiro. “Once you have a belief in the entrepreneur and there is a need in the community, we want to help with the financing.”
Grady Hedgespeth, president of the BBDC, said that Carpenter demonstrated a clear understanding of the market.
”It was clear that the community would benefit from this business venture,” he said.
South Side Spin is 2,500 square feet and includes a play area for children, plenty of reading material and seating. There are plants and other touches. The Laundromat includes 20 dryers and 25 washers, some of which can handle up to 55 pounds of laundry. Future plans include a pick-up and delivery service, as well as dry cleaning.
South Side Paulies Pizza will offer a variety of pizzas and hot oven grinders out of its 1,250 square feet of space. There will be take-out, as well as table service.
The BBDC is a for-profit, investment subsidiary of BankBoston. Its mission is to invest in and be the provider of capital to businesses and not-for-profits that benefit low-to-moderate income communities. The company leverages resources and taps into the expertise of local lenders. It also provides financial advice and technical assistance to new businesses.
The idea is to stabilize – and then strengthen – the local economy.
It certainly appears that in Marcia Carpenter and her family, the BBDC has made a wise investment.
Carpenter is determined to succeed. For herself. For her family. And for her neighborhood.
”Anyone that’s going to come into this building and be a negative factor – they’re just not going to be allowed,” said Carpenter. “They’re not allowed in other places, why should they be allowed here?”
