Archives For Warwick
…Winstanley sees the potential to attract larger retailers that are not yet present in the area, though he said it was premature to name any specifically.
Depending on retailer demands, Winstanley said the building could house either two or four large stores.
The preliminary phases of the project will continue over the next six to nine months, but Winstanley said people shouldn’t expect to see the mall re-open for at least two years. He said it will take at least a year to design and plan out the project and at least another year for construction.
Hasn’t the recession taught us that the age of the Big Box is coming to a close? Are there any retailers left to attract that aren’t already on Route 2?
Interlink in Warwick
Recently, the Federal Transportation Adminstration issued two grants for RIPTA and now RIDOT is recieving Federal Highway Administration grants for three projects.
Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment (IBRD) Program • $360,000
Browning Mill Bridge carrying Arcadia road over Roaring Brook: The project uses relatively new bridge replacement technology known as “Bridge in Backpack.” Construction time for this innovative construction method is much faster than the conventional cast-in-place construction technique, improving safety and minimizing traffic impact.
Interstate Maintenance Discretionary (IMD) Program • $3,341,000
I-95 Pawtucket River Bridge Reconstruction Project in Providence*: The project will replace a structurally deficient interstate bridge (between exits 27 and 28 in Pawtucket) that was constructed in 1958 to carry 60,000 vehicles per day but now carries approximately 162,000 vehicles per day.
Transportation, Community and System Preservation Program (TCSP) • $400,000
Warwick Station Transit Oriented Development Economic Development Implementation Plan: TCSP funds will help advance the economic development outreach for a proposed transit project in Warwick.
* This is actually for the Pawtucket River Bridge in Pawtucket, I don’t know why it says Providence, maybe Providence County.
Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors for RIPTA, is spearheading the effort by adding RIPTA route information on the City of Warwick website beginning Friday.
We may not be past solstice yet, but it sure feels like spring is here. Now that we have a bit more daylight in the evenings, I’m out of excuses; it’s time to get back on the bike.
Yesterday I did my first bike commute of the season. The morning ride to work wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected despite sand on the roads and a relatively new scrap-metal yard on my route.
I live in Providence, but my office is in Warwick on the oh-so-bicycle-friendly Jefferson Boulevard. This last stretch of ride is the only time I find safety in riding on a sidewalk. No, it’s not ideal, but sharing the right-most of 4 lanes with tractor-trailers, pothole craters, and sand is just too scary for this guy. Instead, I trudge through about a mile of sandy sidewalk, weaving around grossly parked cars in adjacent lots, before ducking into the safety of a parking lot and side street that leads to my building.
I felt great on the ride in, such a beautiful morning. In the evening, it was even warmer. When I hopped back on the bike and headed down the street, I quickly realized which muscles had not been maintained over the winter…
I recently got my first GoPro camera, so I look forward to making some videos of my adventures. This video, by my friend Peter, not only got me interested in these cameras, but seriously makes me realize I need more Rule #5 want to get back on the bike every time I watch it.
Six Days to Glover from Peter Gengler on Vimeo.
Today, am I sore, but I am excited to be back at it. I need somebody to make me a shirt to wear while I’m biking that says “I’m blogging this.”
Providence Business News has information on the agreement between the Warwick City Council and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) which will allow the runway expansion project at T.F. Green to finally move forward.
The agreement includes details on which houses in the area will be taken or sound-proofed, provisions to relocate a ball field which will be taken by the expansion, agreements on monitoring air and water in the area, and signage and promotional materials about Warwick.
Image from Google Maps
The Treasurer’s Office has announced that the divisions of Unclaimed Property, Investment and Cash Management as well as the Crime Victims’ Compensation Program and the Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI) will be moving from their current downtown Providence location to 50 Service Avenue in Warwick, effective Monday.
While the Press Release from the Treasurer’s office touts the benefits of this new location (emphasis mine):
“Moving the majority of Treasury divisions to this state-owned facility will help streamline operations and allow staff to serve constituents more efficiently and effectively,” Raimondo said. “Better parking, easy highway access and improved meeting space are all positive changes that should enhance the public’s interaction with Treasury.”
…it fails to point out the massive draw back for those unable to travel by car, the bus service on Jefferson Boulevard, SUCKS!
MBTA Commuter Rail train at T.F. Green Station. Photo from RIDOT.
The Governor, RIDOT, and the Rhode Island Airport Corporation announced today that MBTA commuter rail service to T.F. Green Airport’s station at the Interlink will almost double starting November 14th.
The biggest gripe about the Interlink service since it started last December has been the timing of the trains. Few people have been able to take advantage of the train service to connect to flights at the airport. The initial service was always set to increase once the station at Wickford Junction came online and initial service was more catered to commuters heading to Boston than to people needing to reach the airport. Wickford Junction station is slated to come online sometime in April (it is currently ahead of schedule!); this early boost in T.F. Green service is welcome news.
View from the Interlink in Warwick.
Governor Chafee, RIDOT, announce Federal transportation grant award
Governor Lincoln D. Chafee and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) today announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has awarded $1.6 million in grants to Rhode Island for a series of road and bridge projects. The grants are among a nationwide distribution of funds which RIDOT applied for earlier this summer.
The grants include:
- $847,860 for projects related to transit-oriented development in the area of the train station at the InterLink facility at T.F. Green State Airport.
- A waiver of the customary 20 percent state match (valued at approximately $600,000) for replacement of the East Shore Expressway Bridge in East Providence.
- $350,000 for replacement of three structurally deficient bridges in and near the Arcadia Management Area in Exeter.
- $250,260 for training to help disadvantaged business enterprises prepare to compete for Federal highway contracts.
- $225,000 to provide additional training to help individuals prepare for careers in highway construction.
“I believe that one of the most valuable investments our state can make is in our infrastructure,” Governor Chafee said. “These federal grants will help Rhode Island plan for the future, in addition to strengthening our infrastructure-related construction economy. I am particularly pleased that a significant portion of the funds will go toward further developing Warwick’s Station District. As Mayor and U.S. Senator, I fought to make the InterLink project a reality and I look forward to seeing the advancements and improvements these funds will enable.”
The largest of the grants for projects near the T.F. Green Station is provided under FHWA’s Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program. The funds will be used to advance and implement the Warwick Station Development District Master Plan developed by the City of Warwick. The Plan is expected to guide approximately 1.5 million square feet of mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development. It envisions a highly-visible, mixed-use, transit-oriented growth center within walking distance of a full range of transportation and live/work options. The City is seeking to capitalize on the public investment in multimodal transportation infrastructure by promoting high-value, mixed-use development to attract visitors and business people who use the station and airport while providing a center of opportunity for new development.
“Having well-developed streets and sidewalks is a key component of integrating the InterLink into the City of Warwick and supporting the District for future development,” RIDOT Director Michael P. Lewis said. “The end result is a better connection between the City, the Airport, the InterLink and the T.F. Green commuter rail station.”
It is great to see RIDOT and the Governor value mixed-use development in the Warwick Station area. Jefferson Boulevard and the areas around the train station and the airport have great potential to be a second city for Rhode Island. It has to be developed to be a place where people want to be, that is scaled to people, not their cars. Otherwise it will be just another soul-sucking office park.
The rest of the Press Release:
Back in January, Rhode Island suffered a terrible loss when the Edgewood Yacht Club burned. More than just a landmark building, the club, the neighbors, and the community all feel the loss of this Edgewood institution.
Since the fire, the Edgewood Sailing School has determined to press on. Much of the fleet and docks survived, but most of the necessary equipment need to be replaced, and they could use your help.
This weekend we will be holding our fundraiser at the house of George and Stephanie Shuster in Warwick. This is our community event to raise money to replace what the school lost in the fire of January 2011 at the Edgewood Yacht Club.
Since the fire, all this spring our board, volunteers and staff have been hard at work to rebuild the Sailing School. We have been raising money, collecting donated equipment and marketing our programs to youths and adults in the area – sending a strong message that we will be on the water again this summer. Likewise, the Yacht Club is also making a strong push towards being ready to open on time.
The community is responding. The support is generous. And, with some classes already full to capacity, the Sailing School has a Youth program enrollment that is as strong as it has ever been.
At this moment we are filling the coffers so that we can go forward and purchase items that we lost in the fire. This fundraiser event is one important step in helping us to rebuild. We hope that you will enjoy the occasion. We need your help. Please consider coming.
This Saturday’s event is from 5-7 PM. You may see more details and RSVP here.
Midland Mall in c.1970. Photo from Labelscar.com
Now that the owners have made it official, the Midland Rhode Island Mall will now, officially, be a dead mall, now what?
Speculation has long been that the holders of the master lease, Royal Ahold, parent company of Stop & Shop, was sitting on the property to keep the Walmart at the mall from expanding into a Supercenter, which would compete with area Stop & Shops. I imagine if Walmart wanted a Supercenter in the area, they’d find a way to open one. It’s not like Walmart has never closed a store before to open a bigger one.
