Partnership works for Thayer Street

All of the parties involved emphasized that the payments would not preclude existing partnerships, or potentially new ones from flourishing.

That sounded like especially good news, though one had to wonder if Brown University, Johnson & Wales University, Providence College and the Rhode Island School of Design would ultimately cut back in other areas to offset the expense of the new payments.

We are pleased to see that such partnerships are alive and well. One has to look no further than Thayer Street on the city’s East Side.

Thayer Street is getting a facelift – thanks to a unique partnership between the city, Brown University and local business owners. The three partners have worked in unison to form the Thayer Street Improvement District.

The 10 largest property owners on Thayer Street are working with the city and Brown to decide on the improvements.

Together the three sides have estimated costs for the improvements to be $800,000. The city plans to contribute $400,000 and the university is contributing $350,000.

Property owners and merchants plan to provide a fee based on the square footage of the property to pay for the $170,000 annual cost of security, management and sanitation services.

All of the parties seem to agree that Thayer Street’s artsy character should not change.

“We all realize that Thayer is a real gateway to Providence and Brown and should be a quintessential college street,” said Laura Freid, executive vice president of public affairs for Brown University, recently told Providence Business News.

But changes are in the offing. Landscaping will be improved, more trash cans, better lighting, new signs and awnings and more attractive paving, have all been mentioned.

The cleanup is also expected to include graffiti removal and the addition of common light fixtures with a Thayer Street logo. Plans are also in place to improve parking and to hire a private security firm to work with Providence Police and the university’s own police department.

All of these efforts bode well for Thayer Street businesses, Brown University and the city.

And it isn’t likely that they would ever get it done if only one or two of the parties involved signed on to the program. This is a true partnership – one buoyed by a commitment of time and money.

We hope that it not only succeeds, but serves as a model for other parts of the city.