State Rep. Richard A. Aubin is asking the governor to appoint a special task force to consider potential development for the campus of the Zambarano Unit of Eleanor Slater Hospital in Burrillville.
In a letter sent last week to Governor Donald L. Carcieri, Representative Aubin called Zambarano a “long-overlooked jewel with which the state could do much more,” pointing to the vacant buildings and developable land on the hospital grounds, and its proximity to Massachusetts and Connecticut.
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“There is a need for job expansion and economic development in the northwestern corner of the state, and since the hospital is the already the largest employer in that area, it seems a logical place to consider potential development,” said Aubin, a Democrat whose district 47 includes Burrillville and Glocester.
Aubin said he believes the Zambarano campus has much untapped potential, and he would like to see it properly developed to strengthen northern Rhode Island’s economy and job market. He compared the unused parts of the hospital grounds to the site of the former Joseph Ladd Center in Exeter, part of which the state is redeveloping into Rhode Island’s new fire academy.
Aubin asked that the governor appoint a task force to explore the development options available at Zambarano and issue a report by the end of the year. He also asked that the task force include representatives of Burrillville’s town government to ensure that any recommendations are consistent with the town’s needs and plans. Representative Aubin said he would not want to see a proposal like one that surfaced a few years ago to build a facility for youth sex offenders at Zambarano.
“I think this is an important time for the state to be doing all it can to encourage job growth,” Aubin said in the letter.
