Greater City Providence

Update on Garibaldi Park

garibaldi-park

Image from Bing Maps

A couple weeks ago a site fence went up around Garibaldi Park on Federal Hill (where the arch is). I recieved this notice from a tentant at West Exchange Center with an explanation of the work happening:

Garibaldi Park Revitalization Project
Sponsorship Opportunities

The Omni Group is proud to formally announce that they have adopted Garibaldi Park, which is located at 99 Atwells Avenue. The park sits on the corner of Atwells Avenue and Bradford Street.

The Omni Group, at its own expense, will be doing a complete upgrade to the park (i.e., trees, shrubs, irrigations, sod, lighting, etc.) Along with the landscaping, we will be building a stage, which will be host to a performing arts series.

The Omni Group would like to offer you the opportunity to be involved and help support the project. There are two ways you can do this. Option one, for $250.00; you can sponsor one of the ten park benches. (We will have a name plate made with your personal wording.) The second option, for $85.00, is a personalized engraved brick paver. These brick pavers will be inserted in the pathways. If this is something you would like to do please e-mail Kimberly Bland, Executive Assistant, The Omni Group.

The Omni Group will be hosting a grand reopening of the park in September. More information will be sent out soon.

You may remember that the Omni Group has proposed a new building at 50 Cedar Street as well as an expanded parking deck on Cedar Street.

I walk by this park everyday and I can say, they are doing some pretty serious work in the park. They’ve pruned the trees, one large one was removed (I couldn’t really tell the health of the tree but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt and assume it was sick), all the grass and shrubs are pulled up, curbs are being reset… I think I see where they are putting the stage, this morning there were concrete forms at the back end of the park.

So, yay, I think. They seem to be doing great work, and the City doesn’t have to pay to have this asset restored. We’ll see how the privatization of the space works out.

Jef Nickerson

Jef is Greater City Providence's co-founder, editor, and publisher. He grew up on Cape Cod and lived in Boston; Portland, Maine; and New York before settling in Providence. In addition to urbanism, Jef is interested in art, design, and ice cream. Please feel free to contact Jef if you have any question or comments about Greater City Providence.

3 comments

  • I was in that territory just yesterday, Jef; and, there certainly is a lot of work being done. I say, “Yes!” to a venture that helps recreate a more beautiful, usable and available community space.

    A question (or two): While Omni Group is taking this initiative, will they, also, continue to be responsible for the longer-term upkeep? Also, who’s keeping the “calendar” for how that renewed space – i.e. stage events, etc. – can be used?

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