Why can’t state transit leaders stick with a single location for a new Providence transit hub? After 11 years and 10 potential locations, there are now two new options next to the Providence train station and more questions than answers about what will happen next.
As this week’s cover story reports, Cornish Associates LP founder Arnold B. “Buff” Chace Jr. blames politics for the long and ever-winding road state transit and political leaders have taken since voters in 2014 approved funding.
“Instead of looking at the economic benefits, it’s ‘I don’t want that too close to me,’ ” he said.
Indeed, there has been opposition to every preferred location over the past decade. A major reason has been a lack of transparency on who’s been making the decisions from one preferred location to the next and why.
The saga looked like it was coming to a conclusion when transit and political leaders in early 2023 sought a private developer to partner on a $77 million, mixed-use project on Dorrance Street.
But that preferred location gave way with little public discussion to a site in the I-195 Redevelopment District and now, the options near the train station recommended by a private consortium hired by the R.I. Public Transit Authority. The new preferred locations are near where the project was first proposed.
But questions remain about the cost and vision for the new transit center.
Want to restore community trust in the process? Make the decision-making public to avoid behind-the-scenes politics and delays that have long frustrated Mr. Chace and many others.