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WPRI: Bike-share service coming to Providence
Image from Social Bicycles’ blog City Councilman Bryan Principe, who represents Ward 13, will introduce ...
I-195 Redevelopment District Commission Meeting – October 16, 2017
I-195 Redevelopment District Commission Notice of Public Meeting A regular meeting of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission will be held at Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, 315 Iron Horse Way, Suite 101, Providence, Rhode Island, on Monday October 16, 2017, beginning at 5:00 P.M., for the following purposes:
I. Public Session
- Welcoming Remarks by Chairperson Azrack.
- Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meeting Held on September 26, 2017.
- Executive Director’s Report.
- Presentation by Building Bridges and the Avenue Concept for a proposed sculpture garden on Parcel 1A.
- Presentation by Bob Burke regarding the proposed Freedom Trail Visitor Center on Parcel 1A.
- Presentation regarding the proposed development by the Kendall Hotel Group on Parcel 1A by Tim Love of Utile, Inc.
- Discussion and Vote to consider approval of a Level 1 application as submitted by the Kendall Hotel Group for a proposed hotel development on Parcel 1A.
- Public hearing and Vote regarding a zoning variance to permit the sale of alcohol under a temporary use permit at the proposed food service/entertainment business to be operated by The Seafood Shack LLC at 239 Dyer Street (Lot 404, Assessor’s Plat 20).
- Chairperson’s Report/Agenda for next meeting on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 5:00 P.M.
- Vote to Adjourn.
Providence Preservation Society Symposium – October 18 & 21, 2017
Press release from Providence Preservation Society:
Providence Symposium Examines Historic Preservation and Urban Displacement
PPS Presents Free Programs with Local and National Experts on October 18 and 21
The Providence Preservation Society (PPS) presents the 2017 Providence Symposium, Sites and Stories: Mapping a Preservation Ecosystem, October 18 and 21 in Fox Point. The program examines how to preserve sites and their diverse stories, particularly when these sites have vanished or been altered. The Symposium explores both the economics and the ethics of preservation, acknowledges divides in the field, provides an opportunity to consider multiple points of view and applies to all those who care about the history of the built environment.
The event begins with film screenings on Wednesday, October 18, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Cable Car Cinema, 204 South Main Street. Films include “Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican?”: A Cape Verdean American Story (2006) and The Rebirth of the Nation: The Story of Urban Renewal (1963), a 16mm restored film courtesy of SPIA Media Productions, Inc. An informal Q&A follows with Claire Andrade-Watkins, Director of the Fox Point Cape Verdean Project; Professor of Film and Africana Studies at Emerson College; and Visiting Scholar, Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, and Distinguished Community Practitioner and Senior Fellow, Swearer Center for Public Service, both at Brown University.
Providence City Plan Commission Meeting – October 17, 2017
Providence City Plan Commission Notice of Regular Meeting
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 – 4:45pm
Joseph Doorley Municipal Building, 1st Floor Meeting Room
444 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903
Tuesday, October 17, 2017 – 4:45pm
Joseph Doorley Municipal Building, 1st Floor Meeting Room
444 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903
Opening Session
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
- Approval of minutes from August 15, 2017, regular meeting – for action
- Director’s Report
Public Hearing
1. Huntington Ave / Salvati Way Green Infrastructure Grant – The Department of Planning and Development will present their application for a state grant to install green infrastructure along the Huntington Ave corridor and will explain how the project conforms with the Comprehensive Plan – for discussion
Land Development Project Public Hearing
2. Case No. 15-039MA – 200 Corliss Street and 303 West River Street (Major Change) – The applicant is requesting to amend an approved preliminary plan. The three story 57,000 SF building initially planned for Lot 379 will be changed for construction of two buildings on the same lot. The applicant is proposing to construct a one story building with a 13,400 SF footprint and a three story building with a footprint of 38,100 SF with internal parking on the first floor and two stories of office space on the second and third floor – for action (Mt. Hope, AP 74 Lots 399 and 379)
Doing the Math
This article has been cross-posted from Strong RI with permission.
One of the fundamental insights of the Strong Towns movement is that in the 20th century we built vastly more public infrastructure than our tax base can support long-term maintenance on. Too much of our shiny and new development is actually low value per acre and for the amount of public investment required to support it. We call this “doing the math.”
For example, a developer comes to your town to build a new cul-de-sac carved out of a farm on the suburban fringe. In exchange for the right to build twenty houses they will build all of the public infrastructure to support them: roads, pipes, power lines, fire hydrants, etc. and then hand that over to the town. The town gets a free road and a bunch of new tax paying houses—growth! Tax receipts go up and the town uses them to pay for more and better schools, parks, public buildings, police, fire, etc. However, the long-term maintenance cost of repairing the roads, pipes, lines, etc. cannot be supported by the low tax revenue per length of road, pipe, line etc. Every thing is great for the first 30 years, but then the road needs to be repaved, the pipes lined, the sidewalk starts looking shabby.
Roughly speaking, public infrastructure needs can be understood as a function of intensity of service, amount of private investment, and land area. Bigger sites have more road fronting them, longer for pipes and wires to travel, etc. Higher demand uses create more demand for wider roads, bigger pipes, and fatter wires. A city or town should, in general, be looking to get the best value per acre. After all the city’s or town’s most fundamental resource is its land. Are you using it well? Are you getting a good return in tax revenue on your public investments? You might be surprised at how properties stack up.
Providence Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Meeting – October 18, 2017
Agenda Roll Call Approval of September 2017 Meeting Minutes (For Action) Canal Street Improvements – College Hill, Downtown – Ward 12 (For Action) — The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has presented plans to the City for improvements to Canal Street between Smith Street and Washington Street. These plans resulted from the Canal Street Road […]
CNNtech: How Seattle morphed from bikeshare failure to industry leader in five months
Cyclists riding on a cycletrack in Downtown Seattle. Photo Seattle Department of Transportation Fewer than five months ago, Seattle shut down its struggling municipal bikeshare system that had been propped up with taxpayer dollars. But in the last month, three innovative bikeshare companies have launched in the city, quickly eclipsing the past failure. There are […]
WPRI: Bike-share service coming to Providence
Image from Social Bicycles’ blog City Councilman Bryan Principe, who represents Ward 13, will introduce a resolution at Tuesday’s council meeting that would authorize the Elorza administration to enter into a five-year $400,000 contract with Social Bicycles, a well-known company that will oversee the “implementation, management, and operation” of the bike-share service. […] The bikes […]
Providence Downtown Design Review Committee Meeting – October 2, 2017
Opening Session Call to Order Roll Call Meeting Minutes of June 12, 2017, July 10, 2017, August 7, 2017 and September 11, 2017 New Business 1. DRC Application No. 17.38: 259 Weybosset Street (Commercial Structure) – Proposal by Weybosset, LLC to modify the existing storefronts and to create new window openings on the Snow Street […]
I-195 Redevelopment District Commission Meeting – September 26, 2017
Rendering of proposed Parcel 1A hotel released in April 2017 I. Public Session Welcoming Remarks by Chairperson Azrack. Approval of the Minutes of the Commission Meeting Held on August 21, 2017. Executive Director’s Report. Report and Vote on the District’s Financial Audit by the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, Chief Financial Officer, Lisa Lasky and Commission […]
Mayor Elorza vetos City Council Resolution regarding bike lanes
Mayor Elorza speaking at ribbon-cutting of Fountain Street bike lane in November 2016 Last week the Providence City Council passed a Resolution calling for, “full traffic impact and economic impact studies prior to deciding whether to construct new bicycle lanes.” Bicycle and transportation advocates, along with the Mayor and at least 5 members of the […]
What the Amazon Headquarters Beauty Contest can teach us about Economic Development
The economic development world is all abuzz with last week’s news that Amazon is courting cities for a second headquarters that will match their current, in Seattle, with 50,000 employees and over 8 million square feet of office space. To no one’s surprise, the State of Rhode Island has declared its intention to submit a […]
Providence Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission Meeting – September 20, 2017
Agenda Roll Call Introduction of New Commission Members (For Discussion) Approval of July 2017 Meeting Minutes (For Action) Election of Commission Chair and Vice Chair (For Action) Recommendations for improving Allens Avenue – Upper South Providence, Lower South Providence, Washington Park – Wards 10 and 11 (For Action) — The Rhode Island Department of Transportation, […]
Downtown Design Review Committee Meeting – September 11, 2017
Opening Session Call to Order Roll Call Meeting Minutes of June 12, 2017, July 10, 2017 and August 7, 2017 New Business 1. DRC Application No. 17.12: 350 Eddy Street (South Street Landing) – Public Hearing – The subject of the hearing will be an application by the CV Properties LLC, requesting a waiver from […]
RIPTA open house on proposed Downtown Providence service changes – September 11, 2017
Kennedy Plaza, Image from RIPTA. Press Release from RIPTA: RIPTA to Hold Open House to Discuss Future Changes to Improve Downtown Providence Bus Service The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is considering changes to improve bus service in downtown Providence and is inviting the public to provide input. Future service changes are being planned […]
PBN: The state’s 2012 bet on commuter-rail service has yet to pay off. Is it time to privatize?
Wickford Junction Station, image from RIDOT. “We started a few months ago, doing a deep dive looking into what the MBTA can do, what it can’t do and why,” [RIDOT Director Peter] Alviti said. “Peak periods [are] quite a challenge for them to be able to give us more frequency during rush hours.” The constriction […]
PVD City Drinks – September 6, 2017
PVD City Drinks All are welcome for open networking and community around urbanization, development, transportation, and other topics that effect the quality of life in Providence and Rhode Island. Event Facebook Page
ProJo: 195 redevelopment commission OKs temporary parking plan
Parcels 27 and 28 are on either side of Clifford Street south of Richmond Street. Image from Google Maps Parking issues that have arisen as perhaps the final stumbling block before a development team starts building its planned innovation center and hotel on former highway land were addressed Monday night when the I-195 Redevelopment District […]
WPRI: Police make arrest in connection with deadly hit-and-run
Police have arrested a man in connection with a fatal hit-and-run Monday night on Newport Avenue. The suspect is Paul Newman, 53, of Jacksonville, Florida. He is being charged with leaving the scene of an accident, death resulting. A witness was able to see the driver’s license plate before the vehicle fled the scene. Police […]
