News of Providence's changing cityscape generated the most buzz in 2025, with the top-read articles detailing new developments and commercial projects. The Ocean State also gained a few superlatives – some better than others – from two of its hospitals being named among the best in the country, to being labeled one of the country's least-fun states.
Below is a month-by-month recap of the most-read stories on PBN.com in 2025:
January:
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COURTESY OF TRAVERSE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS[/caption]
Former Providence Mayor Joseph R. Paolino Jr. on Dec. 3, 2024, presented a comprehensive beautification and greenery plan to Mayor Brett P. Smiley, and later to the Providence Foundation on Jan. 15.
Paolino independently commissioned the study and Traverse Landscape Architects, a Providence-based firm, developed the plans. Paolino said he was inspired to commission a beautification and greenery plan after visiting Chicago during the Democratic National Convention.
Plans include improvements such as widening sidewalks, upgrading lighting and installing street trees, with the goal of improving the city’s safety, aesthetics and economic development.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- Showcase Cinemas Seekonk on Route 6 has gone dark for good. The theater at 100 Commerce Way will become a Market Basket after permanently closing on Jan. 5, Town Planner John J. Aubin III confirmed to WPRI-TV CBS 12. The property will be redeveloped into several retail buildings, with Market Basket being the largest store. Read the story here.
- More than a year after interior demolition and asbestos removal started at the Industrial Trust Co. Building in downtown Providence, the future of the high-profile project is now unclear, as rising construction costs and higher interest rates have slowed progress. Initial estimates placed the cost of transforming the 26-story office building into apartments at $223 million, but “Superman Building” owner High Rock Westminster LLC estimated in December 2024 that the cost had climbed to $270 million, according to project filings with the city. Read the story here.
- Irregardless Biscuit LLC at 94 Carpenter St. in Providence was named the seventh-best new restaurant in the country by USA Today’s 10 Best Readers Choice Awards. The restaurant was the only New England eatery named in the top 10 and one of three from the Northeast. Read the story here.
February:
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COURTESY OF THE COWELL GROUP[/caption]
While Starr Capital LLC’s plans for a sprawling 900-unit housing project at the Centre of New England in Coventry are underway, the developer is eyeing a new project on a nearby 17-acre parcel that could include commercial buildings or mixed-use structures.
Starr Capital is set to unveil two options for a new development, called Coventry Centre, on woodland at the north corner of Arnold Road and New London Turnpike. One of the options would be a 100% commercial development spanning 120,000 square feet. The other option would be a 254,000-square-foot mixed-use development. Under this proposal, there would be two five-story buildings of residential units.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
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- The Chanler at Cliff Walk in Newport was named among the 34 most romantic hotels and resorts in the world as ranked by Condé Nast Traveler on its 2024 list. The iconic hotel has consecutively won a place in the magazine’s Readers Choice Awards since 2017. Read the story here.
- An oceanfront estate in Narragansett known as Far Niente sold for $5.6 million, making it the most-expensive home sale in the town in more than a year. The 75 Stanton Ave. home has four bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one half-bathroom, with a total of 4,100 square feet of living space. Read the story here.
March:
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EDESIA CEO Navyn Salem / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL PERSSON[/caption]
Edesia Inc., the North Kingstown-based humanitarian food aid organization that was forced to halt production of lifesaving foods for malnourished children, will finally receive funding again from the U.S. Agency for International Development after weeks of uncertainty. On March 2, Elon Musk confirmed that Edesia was set to receive a payment, making it the first USAID payment for the nonprofit since November.
On Jan. 28, Edesia had to stop production of its flagship product, Plumpy’Nut – a peanut-based paste that has saved more than 25 million lives in 65 countries – for several days after USAID issued a stop-work order for all of its contractors following President Donald Trump’s executive order freezing foreign aid.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- The Tiverton Town Council approved three purchase and sales agreements totaling more than $1.26 million to sell off 72 acres of Tiverton Industrial Park to Longplex Family & Sports Center owner James Long, who plans to expand his business at 300 Industrial Way by building a hotel and additional recreational facilities. Read the story here.
- Karen G. DelPonte, partner for Cameron & Mittleman LLP, was selected by Providence Business News as the Career Achievement winner in its 2025 Business Women Awards program. Also, R.I.S.E. Women’s Leadership Conference founder and Meet Boston Executive Vice President Hilina D. Ajakaiye was named Outstanding Mentor. Read the story here.
- The third most read story of 2025 was that Newport Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital are among the best hospitals in the U.S., according to an analysis by Newsweek and its data partner Statista Inc. The 400 best medical facilities across the U.S. were listed as part of their “2025 World’s Best Hospitals” ranking that scored hospitals from 30 countries. Read the story here.
April:
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COURTESY SWEENEY REAL ESTATE & APPRAISAL[/caption]
The most-read story of April, and all of 2025, was regarding the lease of a 5,000-square-foot lobby space at the former Wyndham Hotel property at 1850 Post Road in Warwick to Pat’s Italian, a locally owned and operated Italian restaurant company. Pat’s Italian owns and operates three other Rhode Island restaurants under the same name, including those in
Johnston,
Cumberland and
Coventry.
Pat’s Italian is owned by businessman Greg Stevens, having purchased the original Pat’s Italian in Johnston in 2007, before expanding to the other locations.
The former Wyndham Hotel – most recently operating as The Cru Hotel and the Sheraton Providence Airport Hotel before that – is being redeveloped into a 200-unit apartment building by a New York company called GoodHomes Co. LLC.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- Rhode Island Hospital, operated by Brown University Health, is looking to build a 185,000-square-foot Diagnostic and Treatment Platform building in the middle of its campus. The project is part of a master plan the hospital is continuing to finalize that would address issues found in the facilities, according to a Certificate of Need filed with the state’s Health Services Council. Read the story here.
- The Congressional Budget Office is projecting that the Pell Grant program – named after the late R.I. Sen. Claiborne Pell and that provides financial aid to millions of college students – will finish fiscal 2025 with a $2.7 billion shortfall, a deficit that could escalate to nearly $10 billion in the following years. Colleges and students across Rhode Island are contemplating what will happen if the Pell Grant program is rolled back. Read the story here.
- NicoBella’s Family Restaurant closed at the end of April, as it was swamped by post-pandemic debt after a decade of serving the downtown area. In a Facebook post on April 11, restaurant owner Daniel Crenca said the pandemic in particular set off an ongoing financial fallout that the restaurant at 10 Dorrance St. could not overcome. Read the story here.
May:
Santander Bank N.A. announced plans to close its branch at 280 Atwells Ave. in Providence as a part of a larger downsizing that will see 17 other locations across the Northeast close. Of the 18 branches planned for closure, six are located in Massachusetts, where Santander has its U.S. headquarters in Boston.
Santander ranks as the fourth-largest bank in Rhode Island based on deposits, holding a 6.79% market share and managing more than $2.8 billion in deposits within the state.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- Jacquelyn Baginski, D-Cranston, is proposing legislation that would require a candidate, campaign or political action committee wielding artificial intelligence to disclose that they are using manipulated images, audio or video in any ads that run within 90 days of an election. The R.I. House of Representatives passed the proposal, but the R.I. Senate companion bill is being held for review. Read the story here.
- In a Five Questions segment, Dr. Zobeida Diaz, division director of women’s behavioral health at Women & Infants Hospital, spoke with Providence Business News about the mental health challenges that women face during pregnancy and postpartum. Read the story here.
- Providence’s downtown restaurant scene never fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020, especially for daytime business. Various restaurants, including Tommy’s Pizza, SaladWorks, Res American Bistro, Kin Southern Table + Bar, and Nico Bella’s Family Restaurant, have all permanently closed. Read the story here.
June:
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DELTA DENTAL OF RHODE ISLAND[/caption]
Federal, state and local leaders recently celebrated the Molar Express initiative’s expansion into the Blackstone Valley. The Molar Express is a nonprofit collaboration launched in 2007 that offers dental services to Rhode Island youths, most of whom rely on Medicaid and struggle to access dental care.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- The Roger Williams Medical Center Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program recently announced it is the state’s only center offering a new cell therapy for adult patients with multiple myeloma. Read the story here.
- Elizabeth M. Tanner, who has led the R.I. Commerce Corp. since June 2022, is leaving the quasi-government agency, effective July 4, to serve as executive director for a new nonprofit created by the administration of Gov. Daniel J. McKee in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Read the story here.
- It’s been 20 years since Kenneth Zorabedian started United Parking LLC in 2005. He started the business with only $1,500, but he eventually was able to purchase a few parking lots. In the two decades since launching, the company has employed more than 500 people in Rhode Island. Read the story here.
July:
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PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO[/caption]
After six years leading the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, Liz Catucci is leaving the organization to lead Partnership for Rhode Island, a prominent nonprofit CEO roundtable, as its new executive director.
Catucci formally succeeds founding Director Tom Giordano, who left the organization in March to become vice president of external affairs for Johnston-based insurer FM.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- The colloquial “Main Streets” are vital for community cohesion and small-business growth. Yet, these areas don’t develop naturally, and many local commercial corridors struggle to reach their full potential. This year, the General Assembly approved legislation allocating $125,000 to fund a one-year pilot program managed by Grow Smart Rhode Island and modeled after the Connecticut Main Street Center and aligned with the Main Street America program. Read the story here.
- After years of delays, the owner of the former Providence Journal building at 203 Westminster St. in Providence, first designed in 1906, is getting closer to piecing together the financing to redevelop the structure and the neighboring Kresge Building into 115 income-restricted apartments – a $53 million project that may get underway soon. Read the story here.
- A 3,100-square-foot residential condominium in Providence recently sold for $1.62 million, making it the most expensive sale price for a loft in the city, according to Residential Properties Ltd., citing records kept by the Rhode Island Statewide Multiple Listing Service. Unit H at 116 Chestnut St. contains two bedrooms and two full bathrooms. The sale also marks the third-highest condominium sale in Providence County so far in 2025, according to Residential Properties. Read the story here.
August:
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PBN FILE PHOTO/K. CURTIS[/caption]
WalletHub, the personal finance website, ranks Rhode Island No. 48 in its study of the Most Fun States in America. The state also ranks No. 33 for nightlife, for an overall score of 23.74. Also, WalletHub ranked Rhode Island No. 50 for movie theaters per capita and No. 49 for state and local expenditures on parks and recreation per capita.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
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- Karl Wadensten, a member of the R.I. Commerce Corp. board and president of VIBCO Vibrators, said in his op-ed piece that the closure of Newport Creamery’s Cranston location isn’t just about a lease – it’s about losing a Rhode Island landmark. He also said this moment should be a wake-up call, as the state is losing icons that “define our culture.” Read the story here.
- Zilmet USA, the American subsidiary of Italian expansion tank and plumbing products manufacturer Zilmet, has moved its headquarters from Rhode Island to South Carolina, where company leadership says the business found stronger growth opportunities. Read the story.
- Landlords who offer off-campus housing to college students in Providence would have to pay “impact fees” and license charges under a proposal being considered by the City Council, but opposition is already forming. Changes to two ordinances would allow the city to charge landlords $300 per student annually – a “student impact” fee that City Councilor Shelley Peterson says would be a first nationwide – and levy an additional $500 license fee for every building in the city rented exclusively to college students. Read the story here.
September:
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YOUTUBE VIDEO SCREENSHOT[/caption]
A Providence law firm is suing Rhode Island Grows LLC for more than $1.7 million in unpaid legal fees and interest related to a controversial 25-acre greenhouse project at Schartner Farms in Exeter.
KSPR Law PC filed the lawsuit in Superior Court on Aug. 22, alleging that it provided a decade’s worth of legal services to Rhode Island Grows.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- While Rhode Island may not have lost a massive chunk of its workforce with Zilmet USA’s move to South Carolina, observers say the shift should stand as a loss and learning experience for the Ocean State. Zilmet USA is the American subsidiary of Italian expansion tank and plumbing products manufacturer Zilmet SpA. Read the story here.
- Brown University Health is preparing to absorb Brown Physicians Inc., one of the state’s largest physician groups, putting more than 1,500 doctors under one entity – a strategic move that the hospital group says will enhance patient care. But others say they don’t see many benefits for the community. Read the story here.
- The R.I. Life Science Hub on Sept. 24 announced the first five companies lined up to occupy space in Ocean State Labs. The companies are MindImmune Therapeutics, OncoLux Inc., P53 Therapeutics, Pax Therapeutics and XM Therapeutics. Ocean State Labs is a 30,000-square-foot facility that will house up to 30 life sciences and technology companies. It is expected to open in January 2026. Read the story here.
October:
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PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS FILE PHOTO/CHRIS BERGENHEIM[/caption]
The Providence City Council voted 9-3 on Oct. 2 to approve a measure requested by Mayor Brett P. Smiley’s administration authorizing the Providence Public Building Authority to issue $25 million in bonds for the acquisition of the Doorley Municipal Building on Westminster Street and the WaterFire Arts Center on Valley Street.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- An apartment building known as Royal Crest Warwick at 42 Cedar Pond Drive in Warwick sold for $132 million, according to public records and an announcement by Walker & Dunlop Inc., which arranged the financing for the buyer as part of a larger real estate portfolio acquisition. According to the warranty deed, the building was sold by Aimco Warwick LLC, a limited liability company based in Denver. Read the story here.
- Warwick, a city of approximately 83,000 residents, is the safest in the country, according to WalletHub. The personal finance website studied 182 cities across the U.S., including the 150 most populated cities. The rankings factored in data from 41 key indicators, including traffic fatalities per capita, assaults per capita, the unemployment rate and percentage of the population that is uninsured. Read the story here.
- One Neighborhood Builders has secured a $3 million loan from the Rhode Island Foundation for the first phase of its Center City Apartments development in the city. The loan announced Oct. 1 allows the nonprofit to secure financing for the first 95 apartments of the 144-unit development spanning three buildings along Taunton Avenue. Groundbreaking and construction are expected to begin this fall. Read the story here.
November:
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PBN PHOTO/JAMES BESSETTE[/caption]
A new business partnership has acquired the Black Sheep restaurant and bar at the corner of Westminster and Empire streets in Providence for $450,000. Doing business as Calray LLC, Charles Lutzen and Ray Sirico said they plan to keep the Black Sheep name and retain as many of the current staff members as possible.
There will likely be some minor tweaks to the menu, and additional entertainment, the new owners said. This is their first venture into bar ownership. The partners said they were searching for an available establishment in the city when the Black Sheep happened to hit the market.
The previous owners of Black Sheep, Daniel Crenca and Oscar Worthington of NicoBella’s Family Restaurant LLC, also own Sports & Leisure and The Brass Monkey.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- As the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas considers a request from Prospect Medical Holdings, parent of CharterCARE Health Partners, which operates Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, filed Oct. 30 to close the hospitals by the end of the year if the state of Rhode Island or a designee doesn’t take ownership, Prime Healthcare, a hospital operator in Ontario, Calif., has expressed interest in buying the hospitals. Read the story here.
- An op-ed piece resonated with readers in November, becoming the second-most-read- story of 2025, discussing the ramifications of a longtime business closing. Friends Foundry of Woonsocket, VIBCO Inc.’s casting partner since 1974, announced it will cease operations on Jan. 31. The foundry’s retirement notice, simple and humble, marks the end of nearly 60 years of hard, gritty, indispensable work. For most people, this is just another small-business closure. For … anyone who understands what it takes to keep manufacturing alive in this state, it’s something much heavier. Read the story here.
- The entire staff of the Central Providence Unidos organization will be laid off on Nov. 26, according to a statement by its executive committee. A total of seven employees, including five from CPU and two One Neighborhood Builders staff members, were given a week’s notice on Nov. 19. They were told by One Neighborhood Builders that the layoffs are due to budgetary concerns. Read the story here.
December:
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AP FILE PHOTO/DAVID GOLDMAN[/caption]
Rhode Island’s clean energy plans are at a crossroads after Rhode Island Energy, the state’s dominant utility company, walked away from negotiations to purchase power from the SouthCoast Wind offshore wind farm last month.
The state has pledged to decarbonize electricity by 2033 and reach net-zero emissions economywide by 2050, goals that rely on offshore wind. The SouthCoast Wind project, roughly 30 miles south of
Martha’s Vineyard, was expected to deliver 200 megawatts to Rhode Island as part of a larger 2.4-gigawatt buildout – enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
Read the story here.
More popular stories:
- Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., have introduced bipartisan legislation known as the ACO Assignment Improvement Act. The legislation expands participation in Medicare’s coordinated-care programs by ensuring Medicare recognizes the care patients receive from nurse practitioners, physician assistants and clinical nurse specialists when determining their participation in an accountable care organization. Read the story here.
- Even though the economy showed signs of improvement in September, Rhode Island is in a recession, University of Rhode Island economist and professor Leonard Lardaro said on Dec. 12 in his monthly Current Conditions Index report. The index, which was delayed by the federal government shutdown, had a neutral value 50 in September, up from 33 in August. A CCI value above 50 indicates economic expansion while a value below 50 indicates economic contraction. Read the story here.
- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has filed nationwide unfair labor practice charges against Airgas USA LLC, alleging the breach of several federal labor laws, including issuing threats, lockouts, discharges and retaliating against workers for exercising their rights and failing to negotiate. Airgas is a U.S. supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods and related products. It has more than 1,400 locations nationwide, including a facility in Warwick. Read the story here.
Veer Mudambi is the special projects editor at the Providence Business News. He can be reached at mudambi@pbn.com.
