PROVIDENCE – The long-vacant St. Joseph’s Hospital and surrounding Elmwood neighborhood are poised for a facelift with the city Ordinance Committee’s blessing Monday on a requested rezoning.
The unanimous 5-0 vote allows former Providence Mayor Joseph R. Paolino Jr. to advance his proposal to turn the hospital into a K-8 school, which he is donating to the city. The rezoning request submitted by Paolino Properties LP involves changing nearly three dozen lots from industrial to commercial zoning. While Paolino is donating the hospital building itself, as well as the chapel and the 1.5-acre parking lot, he is retaining ownership of a number of other area properties that are also part of the rezoning.
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The vote came after a public hearing in which a handful of local residents spoke. Several reiterated prior emphasis on keeping the neighborhood Peace & Plenty Community Garden, which Paolino has pledged to do, stating his intent to donate the neighborhood garden to the Southside Community Land Trust. Others spoke for the need to retain residential use and prevent aggressive commercialization.
Paolino said in response that his amended proposal addresses these concerns. The latest version has also further restricted the types of commercial uses the properties could have to residential, office and school purposes, parks and playgrounds or indoor or outdoor amusement, entertainment or sports facilities.
“I want to do something big for the city,” said Paolino, naming the donation of the former hospital as that “something big.”
Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, who represents the neighborhood and worked with Paolino on the request, also praised Paolino for his “generous donation” and working with neighbors to amend his proposal to address their concerns.
What else the rezoned properties will become has not been decided, but Harris said the city is looking into affordable housing as one component.
The Providence City Plan Commission in January issued a positive recommendation on requested rezoning, including rezoning the four lots comprising the Peace & Plenty Community Garden as residential. That zoning request will come before the ordinance committee under a separate petition, according to Wayne Kezirian, an attorney representing Paolino Properties.
At the time he announced the donation last summer, Paolino said the property was valued at $7 million. The city, as part of its recently approved fiscal 2021 school capital improvements plan, has set aside $75 million for building and property renovation costs associated with the new school.
The rezoning ordinance still requires approval by the full City Council.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
Where the community garden sits now was the Peace st.elementary school