PROVIDENCE – Mayor Brett P. Smiley says the city's bustling nightlife will require an overnight "mayor" of its own after a newly released study shows the industry brings in
more than $990 million in business each year.
But despite the nearly $1 billion in annual revenue, major issues continue to plague the city's nightlife - from transportation and parking problems to trash and noise complaints.
City Hall believes the answers to these problems could be solved by hiring what's known as a "nightlife manager" or a "night mayor."
The city has been campaigning to create such a role since 2019 in an effort to address the mounting problems that are occurring while elected officials are asleep, Smiley said.
"Most city leadership is sound asleep at 2 a.m." he said during his 'Life of Night' report issued on Jan 27. "There's a coordination of services that needs to get done for those who are working or enjoying our city at those hours."
The nightlife manager would serve as a liaison between late-night businesses, residents, as well as city agencies that are in charge of after-hours enforcement and regulations, Smiley said.
The manager would focus on issues such as parking and traffic management, garbage pickup, construction and noise complaints between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Providence Performing Arts Center General Manager Alan Chille told Providence Business News that the historic theater venue, where shows often run until midnight, is in complete support of hiring a nightlife city manager.
“Certainly, anyone who can focus simply on nightlife during late-night hours, while making downtown look better is a good thing [for businesses such as PPAC]," Chille said. "I’m a big believer that looking good is good, and people enjoying our nightlife will see that.”
“PPAC [and other nighttime venues] don’t just serve Rhode Island, we serve the whole region," he said, noting that PPAC served 125,000 patrons alone for this past fall's Broadway season.
"People come from all over. We need to put our best foot forward," he said. "Reputation is what people hear, what they see, and it becomes what they know. If all they see of [Providence nightlife] is dirty streets, no parking, crime, that's problematic. Even if these things happen at an establishment down the street, the whole block of venues and clubs will feel the fallout.”
The priority to appoint such a role is "high," with resource intensity listed as "moderate" and a "near-term" timeframe, per the mayor's
report.
Smiley also revealed that the city's nightlife manager could be appointed from his existing staff, or he could have a new position created in his upcoming budget proposal for next year.
"There are people who are passionate about this industry, who have a lot of experience and understand the nightlife economy is not a problem to be managed, but a great thing to be cultivated," he said.
The need for a nightlife manager came to light after the results of a two-year study conducted by an economic development consulting firm were released on Jan. 27.
Meanwhile, Providence is not the first city looking to bolster its after-hours commerce by way of hiring a nightlife manager. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu appointed the city's first director of nightlife economy, Corean Reynolds, in 2023.
Reynolds is among about 20 nightlife managers in cities throughout North America.
As of March 2024, more than 80 cities worldwide have created and appointed such roles, according to the Responsible Hospitality Institute.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.
