When a collection of local elected officials and business community leaders gathered for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Wexford Innovation Center in Providence, they celebrated the the culmination of a three-year process to begin the transformation of the I-195 Redevelopment District into the epicenter of Rhode Island’s innovation economy. The question is, will the promise of this $88 million project, which expects to include Brown University’s School of Professional Studies, the Cambridge Innovation Center and Johnson & Johnson, match the expectations? The development has qualified for more than $32 million in state incentives, so the answer to the question will depend to a large degree on the return on public investment. What do you think?
