DO DEVELOPERS NEED HELPING HAND? Former Providence Mayor Joseph R. Paolino Jr. has taken advantage of tax-sta-bilization agreements to redevelop a number of city properties, including the more than 150-year-old Case-Mead Building. Without such incentives, Paolino said the city is “behind the eight-ball” when it comes to development. But some challenge the need for the tax breaks. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
For years Providence has had a justly earned reputation as one of the most difficult cities in which to develop real estate. Between costs, bureaucratic friction and low rents, it often doesn’t make sense to invest here. When the City Council approved a new administrative tax-stabilization agreement regime in 2015, developers received a reprieve from…
