PROVIDENCE – City Councilman David Salvatore says it’s time to address the residential building at 889 River Ave., which has remained blighted and unsecured following a fire six years ago.
Salvatore has called on the Smith Hill Community Development Corp. and the city to work together to develop a timeline and project start date for redevelopment of the property.
“889 River Avenue has become a public safety hazard, a visual nuisance and a waste of valuable city property for nearly 10 years,” Salvatore said in a statement. “Action by the city of Providence and the Smith Hill CDC is long overdue. As a colleague and fellow friend to Smith Hill, I am asking that immediate action be taken to get this project on track.”
Salvatore said the Smith Hill CDC closed on the property using Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds, but it has not provided an accurate timeline for when the redevelopment project will begin. He also noted that the contractor who was hired for the project failed to obtain the appropriate lead certification.
“For city officials to leave 889 River Avenue in its current condition is to leave the property at risk of disaster,” Salvatore said. “Residents of River Avenue and the surrounding neighborhood deserve better than to watch this property fall into disrepair and become a death trap for homeless residents seeking shelter.”
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. You may reach him at Shuman@PBN.com.
Someone should address the Superman Building while they’re at it.