From multimillion-dollar home sales across the state to high-profile and sometimes controversial real estate developments, corporate leadership shakeups and layoffs, to a sudden bridge closing and breakthroughs in cancer research, the most-read stories of 2023 left an enduring mark on Providence Business News readers and the region.
Below is a month-by-month recap of the most-read stories on PBN.com:
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COURTESY OF RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL[/caption]
January:
2023 started off with Lifespan Corp. announcing a "breakthrough" in brain cancer research. Researchers with Lifespan’s Cancer Institute said the Phase III of the DCVax-L vaccine showed improved survival rates for patients with returning and newly diagnosed glioblastoma, which is the most common and lethal form of brain cancer. The cancer affects about three out of every 100,000 people, but rates are higher than average in Rhode Island with doctors at Rhode Island Hospital seeing 60 to 70 cases per year. Treatments include chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy with survival rates ranging 15-17 months from diagnosis.
But during the trial, Lifespan researchers found that newly diagnosed patients treated with the DCVax-L vaccine survived for a median of 22.4 months from surgery, which is several months longer than typical treatment and the 5-year survival rate for patients also increased from 5% to 13%. On top of this, the vaccine also showed minimal side effects.
“This is a very easy protocol, has very limited toxicity that we’ve seen thus far, minimum immune reaction problems,” said Dr. Steven A. Toms, director of the brain tumor and stereotactic radiosurgery program director at Lifespan and vice chair of the department of neurosurgery at Rhode Island Hospital . “It’s potentially a huge breakthrough for patients with glioblastoma and potentially with other cancers down the road.” Read the story here.
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Three Rhode Island hospitals – Landmark Medical Center, South County Hospital and Westerly Hospital – all received an “A” from the Leapfrog Group, a watchdog organization that releases hospital safety ratings twice a year. Kent County Memorial Hospital, Newport Hospital, Our Lady of Fatima Hospital and The Miriam Hospital also each earned a “B” while Rhode Island Hospital and Roger Williams Medical Center earned a “C.”
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Savonnah Briggs, a former Citizens Bank employee, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in connection with her role in a bank fraud scheme to create fraudulent personal and business checks. Briggs was one of 11 people involved in the conspiracy who created and deposited approximately $330,000 worth of counterfeit checks, according to court documents.
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As part of a $635 million lease-back deal, Bally’s Corp. sold the properties and buildings of Bally's Tiverton Casino & Hotel and Bally’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi to Gaming Leisure Properties Inc. While Gaming and Leisure will take over ownership of the land and buildings Bally’s continues to own, control and manage all the gaming operations.
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NEWLY INSTALLED bike lanes on Empire Street in Providence. PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM[/caption]
February:
Providence received a $27 million federal grant that could cover the cost of former Mayor Jorge O. Elorza’s “urban trail” network. However, Mayor Brett P. Smiley pumped the brakes on taking action with the funds.
Elorza, who applied for the grant before departing office, had championed his plan for a 78-mile network of protected bike lanes even amid pushback from businesses and a lawsuit threat from state transportation officials. However, Smiley has ridden the middle ground on the issue as he’s not against bike lanes, but opted to conduct a review of infrastructure upgrades and gather more community input before moving forward. Read the story here.
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CVS Health Corp. announced that it is vacating one of its office buildings in Woonsocket, Rhode Island as part of ongoing efforts to optimize office space. As a result of the office closure, less than 90 workers were relocated to CVS’ headquarters in Highland Corporate Park.
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Honeywell International Inc. also announced that it was shutting down its Smithfield factory and laying off 122 workers beginning in April, with several more rounds of layoffs to take place until the last employees are let go on the company’s final day of operations in November.
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Rep. David N. Cicilline, D-R.I., announced that he was resigning from Congress shortly after winning reelection to start his new role as the Rhode Island Foundation’s next CEO and president.
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COURTESY CITY OF WARWICK[/caption]
March:
A vacant restaurant building that was the former home of Agaves Mexican Grill was sold for $2.25 million to a Chicago-based limited liability company called 444 Quaker Lane LLC. The company is affiliated with Green Thumb Industries Inc., a national marijuana products company that owns multiple marijuana businesses in Rhode Island including RISEand CanWell.
The one-story building was constructed in 2001 and was formerly home to a 99 Restaurant before it was occupied by Agaves Mexican Grill from 2011 through 2017. The 8,400-square-foot restaurant building is part of the Quaker Commons Condominiums, a group of buildings that make up the Quaker Commons shopping center on Route 2 in Warwick. Read the second most-read story of the year here.
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As the year’s fourth most-read story, readers were eager to learn more about the Texas-based Brazilian steakhouse chain, Fogo de Chão, opening its first Rhode Island location in Providence Place mall. It was not immediately clear when Fogo would open its new location, but it plans to occupy a 7,000-square-foot, street-level corner storefront that had previously been home to a Joe’s American Bar & Grill from 2000 to 2016.
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Continuing a series of shifts at Providence Place, Massachusetts-based brewery and entertainment company, Level99, also announced that it will be opening a second location in the mall. Level99 opened its first location at the Natick Mall in 2021 where it offers 40 themed challenge rooms along with a Night Shift Brewing beer hall that will be featured in Providence along with dozens of new challenge rooms.
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The Pawtucket City Planning Commission approved the master plan for a 180-unit apartment building next to the Pawtucket-Central Falls Transit Center. The six-story building is expected to include two commercial units, 77 parking spaces, as well as a mix of market-rate apartments and workforce housing.
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COURTESY OF SWEETGREEN INC.[/caption]
April:
The national restaurant chain, Sweetgreen Inc., opened its first Rhode Island location in the Garden City Center in Cranston. The California-based fast- casual chain with approximately 200 locations nationwide, focuses on sustainable ingredients and is known for its salads and bowls.
For its Rhode Island location, Sweetgreen partnered with several local farms for its products in Massachusetts including Twin Oaks Farm, Red Fire Farm, Maitland Mountain Farm and Tribe/Lakeview Farms.
“We’re excited to be expanding our New England footprint and to provide the Cranston community with a new healthy and satisfying option,” said Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO of Sweetgreen. “We were drawn to Cranston because it’s an active, thriving community where we think Sweetgreen will flourish. We hope that our guests feel a deeper connection to real food every time they walk through our doors.” Read the story here.
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The Cranston Plan Commission unanimously approved the master plan for a 130-unit, mixed-use development with self-storage. The site had been home to active businesses until the early 2000s, but over the years the complex reached what planning director Jason Pezzullo called a “state of disrepair.” While there have been attempts to redevelop the area, this has been the first project to reach the approval stage.
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The announcement of Providence Business News’ own 2023 Best Places to Work honorees also captured readers’ attention. Sixty-seven honorees were named to PBN’s program and each company or organization recognized were judged based on human resources policies and completed confidential surveys of employees put together by Best Companies Group.
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Dr. Saul Weingart stepped down as president of Rhode Island Hospital Hasbro Children's Hospital two years after taking on the role. Weingart’s departure comes amid several “leadership structural changes” implemented by John Fernandez, Lifespan Corp.’s new CEO and president, which includes establishing a new position Chief of Hospital Operations and President of Rhode Island and Hasbro Children’s Hospital.
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COURTESY CAPITOL RIDGE AT PROVIDENCE[/caption]
May:
Six Rhode Island senior living communities received recognition in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Senior Living 2023 rankings. The facilities recognized were: Brightview Commons in South Kingstown as best independent living, best assisted living and best memory care recognition; East Side in Providence for best assisted living and memory care; Brookdale Sakonnet Bay in Tiverton for independent living and best assisted living; Capitol Ridge at Providence for best memory care; Blackstone in Providence for best assisted living; and Brookdale Centre of New England in Coventry for best assisted living.
U.S. News analyzed survey data from senior living communities in the state looking at resident and family member satisfaction, value, caregiving, dining quality and more to create the rankings. For this year’s rating U.S. news had assessed survey data from more than 250,000 residents and their family members at nearly 4,000 senior living communities nationwide. Read the story here.
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As employers across Rhode Island have struggled with a tight labor market since the COVID-19 pandemic, PBN reported there are about 1,700 unfilled state jobs, which is about double the number of vacancies in 2020 when it was 870.
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A federal judge dismissed a $100 million breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by Procaccianti hotel group. Procaccianti had claimed Zurich American Insurance Co. had refused to cover losses the hotel incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a judge agreed with Zurich that said the virus’ presence covered by the $300 million “all risk” insurance policy had not caused ‘direct physical loss of or damage’ according to the law.
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After it was damaged by a fire, the Kirkbrae Country Club announced it shut down for an unknown amount of time. No major injuries or deaths were reported from the fire at the popular wedding and banquet facility in Lincoln, but one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion and officials said there was extensive smoke and water damage throughout the building.
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PBN FILE PHOTO/K. CURTIS[/caption]
June:
As the travel season started heating up this year short-term vacation owners said they were experiencing a cooler rental market compared to the past few years. While owners had a series of lucrative summers after 2019, they said their listings are staying open longer and renting at lower rates.
Bookings at Randall Realtors Compass were down 18% year-over-year company-wide, which marks a dramatic drop from 2020 when bookings spiked by 27%. Airbnb had also predicted fewer bookings and lower rental prices year-over-year for summer 2023, according to a Reuters report. Among the factors affecting the industry include financial stresses from inflation, increased comfort with international as COVID-19 anxieties have started to decline. Read the story here.
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PBN reported that John Gibbons, longtime executive director of the Rhode Island Sports Commission, died at the age of 63. Gibbons had more than four decades of experience in the travel and leisure industries and had traveled throughout the country representing Rhode Island and is credited with bringing lucrative events to the state including, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament, and the NCAA Division III Wrestling and Lacrosse tournaments in 2024 and 2025.
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Two Rhode Island nursing homes – Trinity Health and Rehabilitation Center in Woonsocket and Hebert Nursing Home in Smithfield – had filed for receivership declaring their “inability to pay debts as they come due.”
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Dighton Police Chief Sean Cronin was charged with insider trading that brought in $72,000 for himself and another $1.6 million for his friends and associates. Cronin, 43, was charged with three counts of securities fraud and three counts of tender offer fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison along with one count of securities fraud under Title 18, and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud.
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SOUTHCOAST WIND suffered another setback on Thursday when a R.I. state agency decline to approve the company's plans for an offshore power line transmission corridor that would snake through Ocean State waters. ASSOCIATED PRESS / DAVID GOLDMAN[/caption]
July:
Brown University’s Lindemann Performing Arts Center drew both readers’ attention as the year’s most-read story and criticism from the Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education, the Rhode Island Current reported. The group said it was excluded from having a say in the name of the family which appears on the building’s exterior and stated the Lindemann family has a history of buying stolen artifacts of Cambodia.
Brown named the center in May 2022 after receiving an undisclosed amount of money for its construction from Frayda B. Lindemann, a member of the board of trustees. Months later The Washington Post reported that the Lindemann family was known as collectors of ancient medieval and Khmer artifacts. Read the story here.
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A Massachusetts offshore energy project faced more setbacks after R.I. Energy Facility Siting Board decided not to allow transmission lines to run from the turbine farm through Rhode Island waters.
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Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that three car dealerships – Grieco Honda and Grieco Hyundai of Johnston and Grieco Toyota of East Providence — must pay approximately $558,000 to settle claims the dealerships charged customers with automatic add-ons and fees not included in the advertising price.
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Fabio Cairoli, CEO of International Game Technology Global Lottery since 2020, died unexpectedly in July. Cairoli had previously served as CEO of IGT’s Italian operations starting in 2015 when Providence-based GTECH merged with International Game Technology in Las Vegas to create the current iteration of IGT.
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PBN FILE PHOTO/BRIAN MCDONALD[/caption]
August:
A report showing that Rhode Island drivers are the second-most confrontational in the U.S. drew the most reader attention in August, and ranked as the fifth most-read story of the year.
Forbes Advisor had conducted a survey of 10,000 licensed drivers in the U.S. between July 7 and Aug. 3 and compared all 50 states on several metrics. States were then awarded a score out of 100 with percentages and Rhode Island scored an overall score 98.46, coming in behind Arizona’s overall score of 100. Read the story here.
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Fox Sports Radio’s Colin Cowherd and his wife, Anne, marked the highest home sale in Rhode Island so far in the year when they purchased a 1900-era approximately 5,200-square-foot home known as “Highland Lodge” in Westerly for $8.5 million.
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In more real estate news, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence sold the former Saint Catherine’s Cathedral church property and the former Saint Francis of Assisi Church for a total of $2.6 million.
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Peter P.D. Leach, A Rhode Island-based personal injury attorney, admitted in federal court to defrauding clients by misappropriating more than $500,000 in client settlement funds causing clients to lose more than $250,000. Also, Leach admitted that he worked to cover his gains from the IRS while failing to pay more than $250,000 in taxes.
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OLIVIA DEANGELIS, owner of Scialo Bros. Bakery on Federal Hill in Providence.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
September:
After struggling throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath of the initial public health emergency PBN reported that businesses on Federal Hill have appeared to bounce back in both September and October’s most-read story.
Olivia DeAngelis, general manager for both Scialo Brothers Bakery and Bonanno Vinicola, says she has only ever worked in the hospitality industry but has noticed foot traffic on pick up on the hill. Along with this, DeAngelis credited the improvements to support from the Federal Hill Commerce Association and festivals like Al Fresco on the Hill as well as new sidewalks, lighting and paving. Also, while hiring over the last two years was challenging and can get competitive, DeAngelis says the hill is the best place for anyone interested in the industry. Read the story here.
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CVS Health Corp. announced the updated COVID-19 vaccine that had been recently authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is available at its locations. Pharmacies had begun receiving the vaccine that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sept. 13.
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Five local colleges and universities, including four in Rhode Island, were among the 400 best higher education institutions listed in the Wall Street Journal’s “Best Colleges in the U.S.” rankings. The schools included on the list were: Brown University, Bryant University, Providence College, Stonehill College and the University of Rhode Island
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Kateden LLC, a real estate holding company, purchased three Dunkin’ Donut LLC locations in Providence and Cranston for a total of $8.6 million.
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PRESIDENT Joe Biden looks on as Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo speaks on the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 9, 2022, in Washington. The Biden administration is designating 31 “tech hubs” in 32 states and Puerto Rico to help spur innovation and create jobs in the specific industries that are concentrated in these areas. “I have to say, in my entire career in public service, I have never seen as much interest in any initiative than this one," Raimondo told reporters during a Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, conference call to preview the announcement.
AP FILE PHOTO/CAROLYN KASTER[/caption]
October:
The Associated Press reported that the Biden Administration designated 31 technology hubs across 32 states, including Rhode Island’s proposal for an Ocean Tech Hub. The hub, a consortium led by R.I. Commerce Corp., will leverage coastal assets to help form digital and physical testing and manufacturing environments for fast prototyping and delivery to meet commercial demand. As a result, the hub is expected to advance ocean technology innovation and become a leader in the ocean economy.
“Ocean technology and the ocean economy has been part of the innovation ecosystem in Rhode Island for decades. This designation validates Rhode Island’s national position in this growing global market and gives us the fuel to build critical infrastructure that will further drive U.S. economic and national security,” Gov. Daniel J. McKee said. Read the story here.
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COURTESY SKYLINE AT WATERPLACE LLC[/caption]
November
A state district judge ordered the eviction of Skyline at Waterplace LLC, which has leased the prominent downtown event and wedding space from the city since 2016. But since April the city’s attorneys have been working on seven-day eviction proceedings against Skyline alleging unpaid bills, trash issues as well as furniture and equipment being kept outside in the way of public.
But the company countersued, stating it actually overpaid its rent and was owed money for work performed, that suit was dismissed. Read the story here.
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December:
While the year isn’t quite over yet, the most-read story of the month so far is the announcement that Cardi Corp., a prominent road and bridge contractor, is going out of business, according to a WJAR-TV NBC 10 report. The news came days after the Rhode Island Department of Transportation announced the I–195 westbound of Washington Bridge was closed after the department discovered “a critical failure,” a topic that took up many of the month’s remaining most-read spots.
PBN also rounded out the year making its own headlines announcing that Woodward Communications Inc. has
acquired the publication from its founder Roger Bergenheim and that Annemarie Brisson has been promoted to publisher.
