appendix - City Of Pawtucket

Transcripción

APPENDIX
The Foundation of Thinking
Broad Street Regeneration Initiative
Outreach and Public Participation Program
The Foundation of Thinking
Prepared by Alex Sommer, Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Community Outreach Efforts: Connecting to the Public
Mapping, research and climate provide the backdrop for the corridor’s story – a stage set for
a destinations narrative to play out in front of. An in-depth and all-inclusive community
outreach determines the script, direction and the outcome of the play. Parallel to the
Resource Analysis, the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative (BSRI) had to connect to the
public. Community outreach ensures that a destination speaks authentically and encourages
participatory planning for sustained and equitable benefits. There was a three tiered
hierarchy for the success of the BSRI’s community outreach, each with their own unique
challenges: Trust, Understanding and Collaboration. While it seems obvious to include the
public in discussions related to community regeneration or development, there are very few
explanations of how to accomplish a successful form of participatory planning (Shilling,
2007).
Trust: Language & Culture
Along the southern and central portions of the Broad Street corridor, there are a high
percentage of Latino and Hispanic business operators and residents. Specifically along
Broad Street in Central Falls, 84% of business operators are Latino or Hispanic (USCB,
2007). Many of these residents and business operators are new immigrants to or first
generation residents in the United States. There is an identifiable language and cultural
barrier between residents, municipal leaders and the region’s majority population as a whole.
As well, the Latino and Hispanic population is not a homogenous group; it is made up of a
number of different nationalities, cultures, dialects and world-views. It would be ethnocentric
and engagement attempts made unsuccessful to lump all these unique nationalities under
one umbrella. Numerous rifts existed between these cultural groups as well and the
organizations that represented them. It became obvious to approach residents and business
owners on an individual basis: one-on-one meetings and interviews.
Currently in the state of Rhode Island there is strong executive support on the finding,
arresting and deportation of undocumented residents and workers (Carcieri, 2008). This
fairly recent and visible enforcement has had a huge impact on the civic and economic
climate of the corridor as this resonates strongly within the immigrant and first generation
population of the region. This climate made it difficult to get residents and business
operators involved in voicing their sentiments and becoming drawn into a municipal civic
process such as the BSRI. The implications also effect the local economy as a portion of
local business customers have been removed from the region due to arrest, fear of arrest or
deportation, harming the commerce of the small business operators who cater to this largely
immigrant population.
Trust was only gained by using repeated one-on-one visits with business operators over a
period of five to six months. With the help of translators, pamphlets, multiple formats of
questionnaires, mailings and personal interviews, the BSRI gained ground as a well-known
concept. Although awareness was growing among the southern and central portions of
Broad Street, there were still many misperceptions about the motives of the Initiative.
In the northern section of Broad Street, there are a large percentage of culturally
homogenous Portuguese residents and business operators. This population is much older:
often second, third and fourth generation immigrant residents that are fluent in English and
have assimilated economically into the region’s majority population. This can be seen in a
higher home-ownership percentage, higher median-incomes, higher median-ages, higher
high school graduation rate, lower reliance on healthcare and financial assistance and lower
violent crime averages (USCB, 2007) than the central and southern portions of Broad Street
(although still lower than the Rhode Island and US averages). This solidarity and
confidence made outreach much easier than in the more diverse central and southern
portions of Broad Street. Local leaders and social organizations were identified to help
disseminate the BSRI’s concepts. The community’s suggestions were organized, similar to
each other and focused, and there were little misperceptions about the theories behind the
BSRI.
The driving factor behind the BSRI’s community outreach was its single point of contact. The
Management Committee designated a full-time coordinator who would not only help manage
the multiple stakeholders’ involvement, but would also become the familiar public face of the
BSRI. The importance of having a common contact is that the residents and business
operators became accustomed with the coordinator, eventually gaining trust through
repetitive visitations and interviews. A second benefit is that all information transmission is
from a single-source – ensuring reliability, persistence and uniform communication. This was
especially effective when residents, business operators and media personnel needed to
make contact with a single representative from the Management Committee.
A project website, www.BroadStreetExperience.com was also developed to create an online
resource that was available for inquiry at any time by any person. This was useful in sharing
information, updates and general data while maintaining a sense of transparency. Visitation
to the website was monitored to determine how many and at what time site-visits occurred.
Unique visitor numbers doubled every single month for the first six months of the project.
Historical information including a searchable database, demographic data, general BSRI
information, programs and activities, chat forum, BSRI media and a list of partners and
sponsors rounded out the general back-bone of the website. The BSRI plans on developing
a more consumer-oriented, flash-driven website highlighting the destination qualities, maps
and businesses, zoning and real estate information, licensing and business documentation
and grant and financial opportunities in the near future. A calculator showing tax credits and
the benefits available to enhancing or relocating to Broad Street is also being planned for the
website.
Understanding: Agendas vs. Realities
Gaining the trust of stakeholders took repetitive and tenacious interaction over a period of
five months; getting the clear message of the BSRI and Civic Tourism across took ten
months and has not yet been fully completed.
While language was a major barrier in the beginning of the Initiative (a large proportion of the
community speaks English as a second or third language), it was a misunderstanding or
misinterpretation of tourism, economic development, and the role of remote investment and
contemporary development practices that became the largest obstructions to lucid
communication during the outreach period of the BSRI.
The general perception of Tourism, especially related to community development, is often
misunderstood outside of academia and many professional circles along the corridor. It
could be argued that some of Tourism’s stigmas make it its own worst enemy when trying to
be utilized as a form of sustainable development – especially in its relationship to community,
place and other forms of civic oriented planning, what Shilling (2007) calls “Tourism Nada”.
Residents and business operators fell on two sides of a Tourism development spectrum: It is
laughable for Tourism to be considered as a form of economic development in their
community or Tourism will be the solution to their communities’ economic woes if massoriented development were to be encouraged; self-abasement and hypocrisy, respectively.
During the BSRI outreach efforts, these two types of residents had to be approached using
different methods. Self-abasement had to be refuted using the unique and worthy facts and
data gathered through community research – then identifying specific ways in which
residents and operators could personally benefit from Tourism. The International Food Tour
was a demonstrative program that not only identified strengths and weaknesses in the BSRI
but also proved to community members that they themselves are a resource to be valued,
making outreach stronger and its results more productive.
Hypocrisy stemmed from excitement over the potential results of the BSRI and a complete
misperception of what the role of Tourism and contemporary development should play in
regenerating the corridor. Numerous outreach participants suggested the development of
resorts, casinos, malls, parking garages and highways. As well, recent single-use box-store
developments were cited as positive attributes to the community and should stand as models
for all future corridor development. Unwittingly to the public at the time, these design models
contradicted everything else the same residents and business operators said that they
currently liked or would like to see in their corridor. Through the outreach, it was explained to
the public that while this type of remote development is currently needed to strengthen the
local tax-base, supply entry-level job positions and that it can cater to some residents’ needs,
it is often this type of development that also increases homogeneity, destroys the traditional
streetscape, removes inexpensive retail and residential mixed-use properties, replaces
multiple businesses with one, intensifies parking concerns and ultimately destroys what is
unique about a place. A number of months after the BSRI community outreach began, a new
and independent merchants’ association formed to unite, strengthen and give voice to local
business operators and protect their street against contemporary development models that
could threaten their success as unique and independent entrepreneurs. Ironically it was a
misperception of the goals of the BSRI that initiated the formation of the merchants
association: a number of pro-active residents and operators formed the association out of
fear that the BSRI was a redevelopment project whose goal was to gentrify and push out
local residents and entrepreneurs with a new homogenous population. With a better
understanding of what the BSRI actually was and intended to achieve, it became easier for
the community to paint a clearer picture of what they wanted and needed of the Management
Committee and most importantly, what their own specific strengths and weaknesses were.
Collaboration: Finding Community Voice & Engagement
Once the residents and business operators became familiar with the outreach efforts and
understood the general context of the project and outreach questions, responses became
more frequent, developed and positive. By the third and final town-hall style outreach event,
a framework was discernable to the Management Committee and consultants on what steps
needed to be taken to have a successful and holistic regeneration effort centered on place
making and Civic Tourism. With the bulk of data collection completed and many of the
residents’ and business operators’ inputs absorbed, an Action Plan was developed. This
Action Plan defined the relative specifics of what all the stakeholders, partners, residents and
business owners would like to see take shape, how to create and enhance that vision, who is
responsible for those tasks and a timeline for task completion.
Community Outreach Efforts
Summary Sheets
Flyers
Media
Tri-community improvement plans solidify for Broad
Street
01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, September 24, 2008
By Philip Marcelo
Journal Staff Writer
PAWTUCKET — Earlier this year, Central Falls resident Roberto Garcia attended a
meeting at which municipal officials talked about developing a plan for a renewed Broad
Street, the throughway where he owns a health foods store, Tesana.
He was alarmed. “I wasn’t sure it was a good project,” he says.
Garcia and other business owners feared that the local governments were looking to push
out independent stores in favor of larger chains and big box stores, like Wal-Mart and
CVS.
He now believes that what he feared could not be farther from the truth.
At a meeting last night at the Blackstone Valley Visitor’s Center, the project that Garcia
and others have watched evolve over the past year, known as the Broad Street
Regeneration Initiative, was discussed by officials.
After months of one-on-one interviews with business owners and meetings in which
public input was sought, the project today calls for a host of new initiatives to stimulate
business growth, encourage youth involvement, and enhance safety along the street,
which links the downtown areas of Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cumberland.
Officials from the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the three communities gave an
overview of the plan’s major points, which must now be formally adopted by the city and
town councils. About 40 people were in attendance.
The project, which was developed by the consulting firm the Maguire Group and the
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, calls for six major tasks.
One such initiative calls for improving building facades through grants, low-interest
business loans, and a set of guidelines for exterior business signs.
Another would seek to increase pedestrian traffic along the road by building simple
amenities, such as outdoor seating, trash bins and community message boards. There
would also be opportunities for local art groups to create public art and efforts at pushing
for outdoor seating for local restaurants and new locations for public parks and plazas.
A third task calls for encouraging historic preservation. A fourth task would tackle the
traffic and parking issues on the street by encouraging mass transit and biking or walking
along the street. There are also plans to revise parking requirements.
Yet another task, community safety, centers around Jenks Park and making the Central
Falls recreational area a safer place, as well as developing youth programs for gang
avoidance.
To stimulate business growth, the plan calls for supporting a marketing effort for local
businesses as well as reaching out to local banks to invest in the area.
After the meeting at the visitor’s center last night, Garcia said he heard things that made
him hopeful, such as more policing, outdoor events at Jenks Park and better connection to
public transportation.
A member of the Blackstone Valley Merchant’s Association (which formed initially out
of concern for the Broad Street project), Garcia says the project has his support and that
of the association’s 30 or so member businesses.
“I was impressed,” he said. “It will be good project.”
[email protected]
Pawtucket Times
Broad Street ideas are laid out for public
on 09-25-2008 17:26
BY VINAYA SAKSENA
PAWTUCKET — The proponents of a major project to revitalize the Broad Street area revealed
several specific elements of their plan on Tuesday, while also hearing and discussing ideas from the
public.
The event, held at the Visitor Center in Pawtucket, was the last of several public input sessions
planned by those running the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative before beginning to put their ideas
into action, with the help of a consulting firm, the Maguire Group.
Proponents of the project, which has been spearheaded by University of Florida student Alex Sommer
from the office of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, presented their thoughts on what needed to
be done, and then sought input from those present.
It was pointed out that Sommer had gone door-to-door along the street several times in recent weeks
to gauge the needs of residents and business owners, often with a Spanish language interpreter in
tow.
Based on his findings, the group said, it had been determined that five areas along Broad Street were
in particular need of attention: the Ann & Hope mill location, Jenks Park and shopping areas in
Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cumberland.
Several goals were also presented, the first being façade renovation. This, it was said, would be
encouraged via grants or low-interest loans to be used by businesses to improve the appearance and
visibility of their signs, with voluntary standards likely to be set for signage.
Another idea, which clearly had support from residents at the meeting was the idea of making the
area more friendly to pedestrians, with kiosks and message boards to be placed along the street,
along with benches for pedestrians to rest on.
The ideas of adding recycling and trash bins and allowing outdoor dining at restaurants were also
discussed.
Historic preservation was another topic of discussion, with particular attention being paid to making
people aware of the area’s history and using it to attract visitors. This would include understanding of
the immigrant groups that have shaped the area culturally- the Latino immigrants of today and
previous waves of immigrants, including English and Italians.
And while pedestrian-friendly features were advocated for by the project’s proponents, so was the
idea of improved parking capacity. It was pointed out, for example, that few people knew of a
municipal parking lot in Central Falls, located between Foundry Street and Ledge Street, due to poor
signage and landscaping. This received an audible reaction from a clearly surprised crowd.
On a similar note, designing for safety was also discussed that night. This entailed both better lighting
at night and clear windows for businesses, so that people could see what was going on, thus
discouraging crime. Jenks Park was mentioned as a particularly important spot in this regard, with the
idea of a pathway for police cars on patrol there also discussed.
Finally, stimulating business growth was also a stated goal of the project. It was said that help should
be offered to local businesses to prepare them for a changing local economy and possibly involve
local banks in providing economic help.
Local business owner Roberto Garcia, for one, was impressed. Initially skeptical of the regeneration
plan, he said he had actually formed a business group that originally intended to fight it, but had since
been convinced of its merit, particularly after learning that the project did not involve bringing in large
chain businesses such as Wal-Mart at the expense of local ones.
“At the beginning, I was worried,” he said. “But in the present time, I think you guys have got the right
idea. I think it’s a great program.”
Broad Street ideas are laid out for
public
on 09-25-2008 17:26
BY VINAYA SAKSENA
PAWTUCKET — The proponents of a major project to revitalize the Broad Street area
revealed several specific elements of their plan on Tuesday, while also hearing and
discussing ideas from the public.
The event, held at the Visitor Center in Pawtucket, was the last of several public input
sessions planned by those running the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative before beginning
to put their ideas into action, with the help of a consulting firm, the Maguire Group.
Proponents of the project, which has been spearheaded by University of Florida student Alex
Sommer from the office of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, presented their thoughts
on what needed to be done, and then sought input from those present.
It was pointed out that Sommer had gone door-to-door along the street several times in recent
weeks to gauge the needs of residents and business owners, often with a Spanish language
interpreter in tow.
Based on his findings, the group said, it had been determined that five areas along Broad
Street were in particular need of attention: the Ann & Hope mill location, Jenks Park and
shopping areas in Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cumberland.
Several goals were also presented, the first being façade renovation. This, it was said, would
be encouraged via grants or low-interest loans to be used by businesses to improve the
appearance and visibility of their signs, with voluntary standards likely to be set for signage.
Another idea, which clearly had support from residents at the meeting was the idea of making
the area more friendly to pedestrians, with kiosks and message boards to be placed along the
street, along with benches for pedestrians to rest on.
The ideas of adding recycling and trash bins and allowing outdoor dining at restaurants were
also discussed.
Historic preservation was another topic of discussion, with particular attention being paid to
making people aware of the area’s history and using it to attract visitors. This would include
understanding of the immigrant groups that have shaped the area culturally- the Latino
immigrants of today and previous waves of immigrants, including English and Italians.
And while pedestrian-friendly features were advocated for by the project’s proponents, so was
the idea of improved parking capacity. It was pointed out, for example, that few people knew
of a municipal parking lot in Central Falls, located between Foundry Street and Ledge Street,
due to poor signage and landscaping. This received an audible reaction from a clearly
surprised crowd.
On a similar note, designing for safety was also discussed that night. This entailed both better
lighting at night and clear windows for businesses, so that people could see what was going
on, thus discouraging crime. Jenks Park was mentioned as a particularly important spot in this
regard, with the idea of a pathway for police cars on patrol there also discussed.
Finally, stimulating business growth was also a stated goal of the project. It was said that help
should be offered to local businesses to prepare them for a changing local economy and
possibly involve local banks in providing economic help.
Local business owner Roberto Garcia, for one, was impressed. Initially skeptical of the
regeneration plan, he said he had actually formed a business group that originally intended to
fight it, but had since been convinced of its merit, particularly after learning that the project did
not involve bringing in large chain businesses such as Wal-Mart at the expense of local ones.
“At the beginning, I was worried,” he said. “But in the present time, I think you guys have got
the right idea. I think it’s a great program.”
Providence En Español
Publicado el 02-08-2008
Inyectarán nueva vida a la Calle Broad de Central Falls
En un esfuerzo mancomunado, los alcaldes de Pawtucket, Central Falls y Cumberland
asumieron el compromiso de re-novar e inyectar nueva vida a la Calle Broad, considerada una
de las principales vías comerciales de las tres mencionadas ciudades.
Este ambicioso plan de revitalización de la Broad está avalado además por una subvención
compartida de 50 mil dólares, asignada por Preserve America, una iniciativa federal diseñada
para fomentar el uso y la conservación de zonas históricas en todo el país.
El anuncio del proyecto se realizó el pasado martes, durante un encuentro donde participaron
algunos dueños de negocios, empresarios, oficiales electos y munícipes de las tres ciudades
envueltas en el proyecto.
Los alcaldes James E. Doyle, Charles Moreau y Daniel McKee, de Pawtucket, Central Falls y
Cumberland, respectivamente, destacaron la importancia de este proyecto, el cual iniciará con el
estudio de Iniciativa de Regeneración de la vía. Asimismo, aseguraron que los beneficios que
reportará esta revitalización al concluirse los trabajos, llegará a cada miembro, vecino, familia y
negocio de estas tres ciudades.
La “Iniciativa de Regeneración de la Calle Broad” será supervisada por Alex Sommer, de la
Universidad de la Florida, quien realiza estudios superiores de turismo y planificación urbana, y
se encargará de la iniciativa como un proyecto de alto nivel.
Sommer dijo que se interesó en lo que el Concejo de Turismo de Blackstone Valley está tratando
de desarrollar en la zona, e inmediatamente estableció contacto con los encargados para
ponerse a su disposición en todo lo que requieran. “Ellos tienen una gran visión. Este proyecto
es realmente histórico, porque los planes no vienen de arriba, sino de las necesidades e
inquietudes de la comunidad, y eso hace que sea sostenible”, expresó Alex Sommer.
Sin embargo, el proyecto no se desarrollará de la noche a la mañana. El presidente del Concejo
de Turismo de Blackstone Valley , Bob Billington, indicó que la revitalización de la Calle Broad
cumplirá su proceso gradual, el cual estará repartido en el transcurso de hasta 20 años. “El
objetivo final de esta revitalización es ampliar la vía más allá de una estrecha franja de la
carretera”. Y aconsejó a las comunidades circundantes a esta arteria comercial, “tener paciencia
e involucrarse en el proyecto”.
Crece entusiasmo por mejoras de Calle Broad en CF
Marisabel Brito/foto Fatima Illesca
CENTRAL FALLS.- El entusiasmo de los comerciantes es evidente, y hasta entre los vecinos de
las áreas circundantes a la Calle Broad, desde Pawtucket hasta Cumberland, se dibuja en sus
ojos la esperanza del porvenir, desde que fuera anunciado a principios de año el proyecto para
remozar y modernizar una de las más importantes arterias comerciales que recorre en toda su
extensión la pequeña ciudad de Central Falls.
Son muchos los planes e inquietudes de los comerciantes hispanos que apuestan cada día a su
progreso en Central Falls. Su ansiedad crece y ya se notan los esfuerzos de los funcionarios
electos de las tres ciudades, apoyados de diversas organizaciones de la comunidad para dar
inicio al ambicioso proyecto.
El segundo encuentro en el proyecto de “Iniciativa de Regeneración de la Calle Broad” se
realizara el lunes 24 de marzo, a partir de las 5:00 de la tarde, en el Club Madeira, ubicado en el
64 de la Avenida Madeira, en Central Falls.
Al evento, donde se discutirá con la comunidad residente y comercial de las tres ciudades los
puntos claves del plan, han sido invitados todos los empresarios, propietarios de negocios,
dueños de propiedades, líderes comunitarios y residentes del vecindario interesado, para que
expongan sus ideas, inquietudes y expectativas en relación a “Broad Street Regeneration
Initiative”.
La reunión, que proveerá traducción al español, ha sido convocada por Alex Sommer, supervisor
del proyecto, quien cuenta con estudios superiores en turismo y planificación urbana en la
Universidad de La Florida.
El proyecto fue anunciado el pasado 5 de febrero, durante un encuentro en la Alcaldía de
Pawtucket, donde asistieron los alcaldes James E. Doyle, Charles Moreau y Daniel McKee, de
Pawtucket, Central Falls y Cumberland, respectivamente.
Este ambicioso plan de revitalización de la Broad está avalado además por una subvención
compartida de 50 mil dólares, asignada por Preserve America, una iniciativa federal diseñada
para fomentar el uso y la conservación de zonas históricas en todo el país.
En el anuncio también participaron algunos dueños de negocios, empresarios, oficiales electos y
munícipes de las tres ciudades envueltas en el proyecto.
Los alcaldes de las tres ciudades han manifestado su confianza e importancia en el proyecto, el
cual iniciará con el estudio de Iniciativa de Regeneración de la vía. Asimismo, aseguraron que
los beneficios que reportará esta revitalización al concluirse los trabajos, llegará a cada miembro,
vecino, familia y negocio de estas tres ciudades.
El proyecto no se desarrollará de la noche a la mañana. El presidente del Concejo de Turismo de
Blackstone Valley , Bob Billington, indicó que la revitalización de la Calle Broad cumplirá su
proceso gradual, el cual estará repartido en el transcurso de hasta 20 años. “El objetivo final de
esta revitalización es ampliar la vía más allá de una estrecha franja de la carretera”. Y aconsejó a
las comunidades circundantes a esta arteria comercial, “tener paciencia e involucrarse en el
proyecto”.
Inicia primera fase hacia una nueva Calle Broad
En la primera reunión pública, los asistentes mostraron qué les gusta y qué no quieren ver
en la Calle Broad. El cometido final es convertir dicha vía en una zona turística, segura,
bonita y concurrida
Marisabel Brito/Fotos Octavio Gómez
CENTRAL FALLS.- El Concejo de Turismo del Blackstone Valley en Rhode Island conversó con
comerciantes, dueños de propiedades y residentes de la Calle Broad en las ciudades de
Pawtucket, Central Falls y Cumberland, durante una reunión pública como parte de un plan de
acción en el proyecto de remozamiento de la referida vía comercial.
Durante la reunión, los participantes intercambiaron impresiones con el presidente del
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, Robert Billington; Alex Sommer, Coordinador de la Iniciativa
Broad Street, y Amanda Wood, Supervisora de dicha oficina.
El salón del Restaurante Madeira fue habilitado con numerosos gráficos y planos de las
principales áreas comerciales, residenciales y sitios históricos alrededor de las tres millas de
extensión de la Calle Broad, desde el centro de Pawtucket hasta la parte Norte del Blackstone
Valley.
La dinámica consistió en que los asistentes tenían opción de mostrar lo que les gusta o disgusta
de la estructura actual en la Calle Broad, tomando dos tipos de tachuelas: las blancas para
mostrar los lugares o puntos que creen deben conservarse en el proyecto, y rojas para indicar
que es una edificación, negocio o lugar que no quieren en el área.
Las comunidades de Pawtucket, Central Falls y Cumberland se han unido para iniciar el proyecto
de revitalización de la Calle Broad. Para esos fines, el pasado año, el Blackstone Valley Tourism
Council Rhode Island solicitó y le fue otorgada ayuda financiera por parte de Preserve America
para dar los primeros pasos en la realización de esta iniciativa.
Opinión de comerciantes
Nicolás Hernández, por ejemplo, lleva 10 años con Envi Mex en Central Falls, y al exaltar la
importancia del proyecto para revitalizar la Calle Broad, destacó que en la zona hace falta más
seguridad y parqueos. “Entre los principales problemas que veo como comerciante en la zona
son los parqueos y la seguridad. Creo que si se dan todas estas modificaciones vamos a tener
mayor movimiento de público comercial en la Broad”.
Asimismo, Hernández mostró entusiasmo por los detalles que han sido presentados en torno a la
Iniciativa de la Calle Broad. “Entre los proyectos que se tienen en toda el área están: plantar
árboles en todas la aceras e instalar el alumbrado, así como muchas otras cosas. Pero
específicamente donde está ubicado mi negocio, que planean mover el edificio hacia atrás y
habilitar el frente con amplios parqueos”.
Entretanto que Adalberto J. García, dueño y presidente de García Insurance Agency, mostró
entusiasmo con la iniciativa, al entender que puede ser de gran utilidad para los hispanos
propietarios de pequeños negocios, aun cuando no pueden determinar si los cambios serán para
bien o para mal de toda la comunidad.
“Actualmente estamos bien, pero si es para mejorar sería mejor. ¿Qué cambiaría? Esta zona roja
(señalando un área del mapa llena de tachuelas rojas) que es un antro de prostitución, nos
gustaría que desapareciera del lugar. Me gustaría también que hubiera más de aseo en las
calles de Central Falls. Recuerdo cuando vine a esta ciudad en 1970 y la ciudad era mucho más
limpia”, destacó García. “Esperamos que la ciudad nos apoye al brindar más seguridad y
vigilancia, así como reconsiderar el estado de muchos edificios que deslucen el aspecto de la
calle. Por lo menos que lo acondicionen si no lo van a demoler”.
A largo plazo
El Presidente de Blackstone Valley Tourism Council Rhode Island destacó que según un
inventario realizado a las propiedades de la Calle Broad, esta vía cuenta con 550 construcciones,
entre residencias, comercios, industrias, centros educativos, religiosos, gubernamentales,
recreativos y de uso mixto. Además de 250 negocios, de los cuales más de la mitad son
propiedad de inmigrantes.
“La comunidad comercial de la Broad es muy variada, ya que cuenta con negociantes
portugueses, norteamericanos, caboverdianos, puertorriqueños, guatemaltecos, mexicanos,
colombianos y dominicanos, entre otros grupos étnicos. Es un área comercial multicultural”, dijo
Robert Billington.
Y explicó el propósito de la reunión pública. “Prácticamente el proyecto empezó con este primer
paso, reunir a la gente para saber que les gusta, que les disgusta de la zona y qué quieren ver;
en general, escuchar sus opiniones, ya que el proyecto está basado en la opinión pública de las
personas que viven trabajan y hacen vida en esta área”.
La iniciativa para remozar la Calle Broad no tiene fecha definida para su conclusión. En ese
sentido, Billington manifestó: “Pienso que siempre habrá algo que cambiar o en que trabajar. En
unos años, la Broad tendrá mejores señales de tránsito, calles, más árboles, mejor distribución,
pero estos proyectos toman mucho tiempo, e incluso puede durar hasta 10 años”.
Al hablar del futuro de la zona, destacó que es un proyecto de toda la comunidad, por lo
que es importante su participación. “Estamos tratando de convertir la Calle Broad en un
lugar maravilloso, seguro y bonito para nuestros hijos. Estamos planeando algo muy
diferente a lo que es hoy, una zona turística, con parqueos, parecida a la Federal Hill en
Providence”.
http://www.clavehispana.com/avanza-revitalizacion-de-la-calle-broad.html
Avanza Revitalización de la Calle Broad
Por Franklyn Bratini
miércoles, 24 septiembre 2008
PAWTUCKET, R. I..- Aún cuando no se han iniciado los trabajos físicos de
remodelación de la Calle Broad , en su trayecto por las ciudades de Pawtucket, Central
Falls y Cumberland, el proyecto “Iniciativa de Regeneración de la Calle Broad” (Broad
Street Regeneration Initiative) avanza hacia la delimitación de su diseño final.
En ese sentido, el Blackstone Valley Tourism Council of Rhode Island, entidad
encargada del proyecto, basado en las ideas aportadas por la opinión publica de las
citadas ciudades, se propone convertir la Calle Broad en un destino de recreación,
turismo, entretenimiento y exquisita gastronomía, el cual se encuentra en la fase de
creación de un Plan de Acción que servirá de guía para hacer de esta vía una zona
turística hermosa, concurrida y segura.
Dicho Plan para remozar y modernizar esta importante arteria comercial, que espera
concluirse al final de este año, contemplará lo que deberá hacerse y quienes lo harán,
incluyendo a residentes y dueños de negocios del área, entre otros.
En efecto, como parte del ambicioso proyecto de revitalización de la Broad, el
Concejo de Turismo del Blackstone Valley en RI llevará a cabo la tercera y última
reunión pública, el próximo martes 23 de septiembre, en las oficinas del Blackstone
Valley Visitor Center, localizadas en el 175 de la calle Main en Pawtucket, donde los
comerciantes, dueños de propiedades y residentes de la Calle Broad en las tres ciudades
envueltas, tendrán la oportunidad final de dar su opinión sobre el mejoramiento de la
calidad de vida de la zona, expresando lo que les gusta o disgusta de su estructura actual.
Anuncio, financiamiento y aspectos principales a remodelar
Este proyecto de remozamiento de la referida vía comercial, del cual en principio no se
tenía una idea exacta del rumbo que tomaría, fue anunciado oficialmente, el 5 de febrero
del presente año, durante un encuentro donde asistieron los alcaldes de las tres ciudades
involucradas, así como también dueños de negocios, empresarios, oficiales electos y
residentes.
“Queremos enaltecer las únicas y maravillosas cosas que ya están localizadas aquí:
excelentes restaurantes, la música, el arte, la cultura, los edificios históricos y el bello
ambiente del río que las conecta. En definitiva queremos que este proyecto se convierta
en un destino turístico, un lugar único que la gente quiera conocer”, manifestó Alex
Sommer, de 23 años, coordinador de “Broad Street Regeneration Initiative”, graduado
de la carrera de Turismo y Planificación Urbana en la Universidad de Florida.
Sommer declaró que el Concejo, solicitó una subvención para el financiamiento del
mismo, cuya asignación le fue otorgada a través del programa de Preserve América del
National Park Service, una iniciativa federal diseñada para fomentar el uso y la
conservación de zonas históricas en toda la geografía nacional, la cual sumada a los
fondos recibidos de las ciudades de Pawtucket, Central Falls y Cumberland hace un total
de $102 mil dólares. Aseveró que estos recursos están siendo destinados solamente para
desarrollar la fase de planificación del proyecto, lo que permitirá determinar un plan de
cómo hacer de la preservación histórica local una forma de desarrollo económico que
realce este lugar.
Por esta razón estas ciudades han comenzado a solicitar subvenciones a través del
Community Development Black Grants (CDBG), la cual proveerá pequeños préstamos
sin intereses a los comerciantes y dueños de propiedades de la zona.
El mega-proyecto avanza hacia una nueva Calle Broad, después de siete meses de intenso
trabajo con la comunidad, mediante la realización de encuentros públicos con los
residentes, comerciantes y todo el que vive o visita la zona, quienes expresaron lo que
quieren y desean ver en el futuro en esta calle. Para ello y basado en las informaciones
obtenidas de estas reuniones, fueron contratadas firmas de Arquitectos y Planificación
Urbana para analizarlas y mostrarlas a través de dibujos, planos, bocetos y mapas, los
cuales sustentan los puntos esenciales en los que se basa el proyecto de remodelación de
la Calle Broad, considerada una de las principales vías comerciales de las citadas
ciudades, entre los que se destacan: cambiar o mejorar la preservación histórica, fachadas
de edificios, área peatonal, tráfico, estacionamiento y seguridad pública, así como
también la creación de una plaza , donde la gente pueda reunirse, conversar y compartir.
Eventos promocionales y duración del proyecto
Con la intención de promover la Calle Broad, los encargados del proyecto realizaron,
durante 10 semanas, una serie de recorridos turísticos y gastronómicos a bordo del bote
‘Blackstone Valley Explorer’, denominado ‘Tour de Comida Internacional’, en los que
visitaban los principales restaurantes de las tres ciudades.
El tour, con asistencia al tope de capacidad, fue una impresionante experiencia que atrajo
a cientos de nuevos visitantes a la Calle Broad y generó miles de dólares a los dueños de
negocios locales entre los meses de junio y agosto. “Planeamos hacer este tipo de tours
anualmente debido a la popularidad y el éxito que ha tenido. Pero ciertamente nuestra
meta es crear más espíritu comunitario y tener visitantes que realmente aprecien las
únicas cosas que hacen de esta calle una gran zona comercial” dijo Sommer.
La iniciativa que promete revitalizar la Calle Broad no tiene fecha definida para su
conclusión, ya que podría tomarse de 10 a 15 años, según aseguró el coordinador de la
obra. “Pero la verdad es que podríamos empezar a ver cambios dentro de un año, todo
depende de que tan entusiasmado estén y que tanto se involucren los residentes y los
dueños de negocios que quieran ver su calle revitalizada prontamente”, aclaró el
supervisor de este extraordinario proyecto.
Para mantener el espíritu vivo de esta iniciativa, la cual busca renovar e inyectar nueva
vida a la Calle Broad, sus reformadores celebrarán eventos que envuelvan a la
comunidad, tales como el Tour de Comida Internacional y posiblemente el Festival de
Invierno. “Estaremos constantemente reuniéndonos con la gente en las calles para
escuchar lo que ellos quieren y esperan de este proyecto y como pueden convertir sus
sueños en realidad, ya que los beneficios que reportará esta revitalización al concluirse
los trabajos, llegará a cada familia y negocio de estas tres ciudades” concluyó Alex
Sommer.
Los interesados en obtener más información sobre el proyecto pueden comunicarse al
401-724-2200 o visitar su página Web: www.broadstreetexperience.com
F O U N D A T I O N
F O C U S
Broad Street initiative strengthening businesses
For months, Alex Sommer, a planner employed
by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC), has
diligently facilitated the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative, a comprehensive regional planning collaboration
between the cities of Central Falls, Pawtucket, and Cumberland as well as local organizations including the
BVTC, Progresso Latino, the Northern Rhode Island
Chamber of Commerce, and The Pawtucket Foundation.
This planning project will result in an action plan to revitalize the Broad Street corridor, a three-mile ribbon that
spans the three communities and links downtown Pawtucket with the northern Blackstone Valley.
To date, the Broad Street Regenerative Initiative
has successfully given local business owners, residents,
and land-owners along the corridor an active voice in
identifying the needs and desires of the community.
Along with the collection of data, resources analyses, and
mapping, the team has acquired numerous partners and
stakeholders including the Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation, Rhode Island Economic Development
Corporation, Rhode Island Small Business Administration, and the John H. Chaffee National Heritage Corridor.
The initiative appears to be growing. In response
to its increasing momentum, the BVTC launched a series
called “The Broad Street International Food Tours” to
capitalize on the excitement. Since June of this year, the
program has attracted hundreds of tourists who have
injected thousands of dollars directly into the street’s fam-
This rendering illustrates how local businesses can use design techniques to create a vibrant streetscape which enhances the pedestrian
realm and experience.
ily-operated small businesses. The food tour has garnered tremendous media exposure both regionally and
nationally, and it continues to be a big hit among visitors.
A Broad Street Merchant’s Association has recently formed and many business owners are now striving to own their buildings and land. Sommer anticipates
the three-city partnership will approve a final action plan
by November of this year while the spirit of true entrepreneurship has already taken root.
THE PAWTUCKET FOUNDATION | www.pawtucketfoundation.org
Stakeholder Outreach Meeting Summaries
Stakeholder Outreach
Navigant Credit Union
693 Broad Street
Central Falls, RI 02863
401-233-3601
June 26, 2008 conversation with Branch Manager Pedro Xavier
How many people do you employ?
17 employees
Do they live locally?
Approximately 80% live within the tri-community
How many people do you serve on an average day?
Median of 600 transactions
What percentages of customers are local, from the city, or visitors?
75% are within the tri-community
Statistics on account holders, ex: ethnic groups:
Top market is Portuguese, 50+ year olds
Second, French descent, 50+ year olds
Third, Anglo
Smallest demographic are Hispanic 22-40 year olds (approximately 10%)
Statistics on loan activity, ex: avg. amounts, ethnic groups, small businesses:
Most customers have been there 30-50 years. Deposit heavy and strong
investments. Not much liquid transactions.
Changes from 2007 – 2008: Consumer loans down 10%
Commercial mortgages up 15%
Commercial loans up 12%
What are the bank’s local market priorities?
Relationship building and a family environment are what Navigant focuses on.
They aim for long-term investment over a lifetime. They have much different
priorities than larger banks. When people move out of CF, they usually keep
money with Navigant – they have many customers in Providence, East
Providence, Attleboro, Barrington, etc.
Comments:
Plan is good – it is an incentive for businesses of all types. It aims to attract new
markets and that is good. The highlighted issues are great places to start to create a chainreaction of redevelopment. There needs to be more involvement from land owners, not
just business operators.
Navigant has a program where it set aside $10mill for underserved homebuyers.
To borrow financing, customers had to graduate from “homebuyer class” and a number
of other requirements. The program ran out of money in 40 days. Pedro suggested a
similar program for commercial development or business operators with poor or no
credit. He currently has credit classes for members and non-members.
Navigant’s Commercial Lending department is only allowed 12.5% to be
dedicated to commercial financing – they are currently at 12%. Either need to change
charter or receive matching from other organizations.
Pedro is ready to get involved and would like to know what he and the credit
union can do.
Blackstone Valley Merchant’s Association
Blackstone Lofts
501 Roosevelt Ave.
Meeting was held June 27, 2008, 7:00pm – 9:00pm with active members led by
President Alfonso Acevedo- America News
Attendees:
Gloria L Rubio – Rubio Financial Services
Felix Rodriguez – Fiesta Meat Market
Nelson Catano
Mario Castillo – EZ Computer
Norma Castillo – EZ Computer
Pedro Tabares – La Casona
Cesilia Rodriguez – Curiosidades El Rey
Roberto Garcia - Tesana
Bush Chaudhary
Luz Montoya – Garcia Insurance Agency
Adalberto J. Garcia – Garcia Insurance Agency
Miguel Aguilar – Tierras Hispanas
Simon Hernandes – Tierra Chapinas
Omar Quintero – Best Services
Armando Palacio – Palace Financial
Ruth Cuervo – La Feria del Regalo
Samuel Valera - Tesana
Meeting began with introductions and summary of project. Issues & Interventions as
well as Architectural Drawings were disseminated and discussed. It was reiterated that
plans were merely drafts and would not be included in an action plan unless fully
supported and/or changed and commented on by public.
Issues brought up by attendees:
• Private changes must be instituted by landowners, not by business operators.
•
Traffic engineers must develop a study of parking: if there are x number of
business, and they need y number of parking spots, then the neighborhood must
accommodate the total y amount. There was a fear that big box-stores will be
swallowing up all of the parking not leaving any communal spots for small
businesses; as well as take away their customers.
•
Members were thrilled with PCDC’s actions for affordable housing and the
KeepSpace Initiative.
•
Operators felt that regional business and social organizations were inefficient and
more concerned about their own operations rather than actually using grant
funding to help the community. Too much talk and not enough action. Numerous
comments related to the fact that grant money should be used for financial support
of local businesses instead of operational budgets of the organizations: they have
become too large and cumbersome.
•
Walkability is a major factor to bringing in more patrons and increasing safety,
but pedestrians must have something to see to want to make them walk further.
•
Operators are interested in bringing a specialized commuter route – loop of Broad
Street to Attleboro Train Station.
•
The merchants association is in the process of incorporating and numbers between
20 – 40 active members. Operators would like to have representation (2
association members) during discussion, especially those related to economic
development.
•
Financing was a huge issue, interest in a “Resource Center” or physical location:
where to get funding, how to get funding, etc. Again, operators were mostly not
interested in education, etc., they were interested in acquiring financial assistance.
•
The association is interested in the new “Touristic” market, and would like
education on this possible patron. They want to make their businesses available to
new markets. Some patrons did not see the connection between their niche
product and potential new markets, ex: Fiesta Meat Market does not think that
out-of-region/culture visitors want to patron the store – could not see why
enhancing street’s attributes will drive more business to restaurants and shops,
and indirectly his market. However, other members suggested that at Federal
Hill, specialty markets are one of the big draws – selling the entire cultural
product and experience.
Progreso Latino
626 Broad Street
(401) 728-5920
June 4, 2008 conversation with:
Progreso Latino Director, Ramon Martinez
Small Business Development Corporation – Every Company Counts, Claudia Cardozo
SBDC at Johnson & Wales, Adriana Dawson
Small Business Administration, Norm Deragon
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, Director Robert Billington
Building Ownership:
Determine Owners vs. Renters
Determine Owners vs. Operators – find absentee landlords – How will they buyin?
Are small business operators in a position to buy their building?
Are Owners willing to sell?
Current Economic Climate:
Why are business operators located on Broad Street?
Convenience – have family and friends nearby (help work)
Prices – current perceptions keep rents down
Businesses would often move out of area if they could, in fact, they aim to move
when they become successful.
Can Broad Street be more than just a “business incubator” and actually keep
businesses there?
Successful Efforts:
Progreso Latino’s “Fast track” – Latino Small Business Grant
Get businesses together, organized – Merchants’ Association
Ex: Purchase rights for parking lots to allow multi-use parking
Determine Business Needs – What do they need to succeed or become
‘bankable’? Business Plan, etc.
Determine Businesses already prepared to take the next step – upgrade business,
purchase building
Develop a Main Street Program – ex: find vacant or available properties and
develop a database for purchasers to use
Next Steps:
1) Contact Owners – Determine who wants to sell – gain a return on investment,
develop a property owner forum/meeting/contact
2) Credit Card Education
3) Contact Business Operators – current capabilities, what they need to upgrade,
and who is ready to take the next step.
4) Make Business Operators bankable through education and planning
5) SBA brings lenders to the table and Broad Street provides a pool of prepared
small business owners
Questions for Consultants:
What rules are in-place for absentee landlords: required façade
improvements/ code enforcement, eminent domain
Cities must have something in-place to replace absentee landlords or
poor upkeep. Determine rules against ‘blight’ or a ‘nuisance to the
city’
Issues & Interventions
Business Outreach
Central Falls Commercial Area – Monday, June 23, 2008
Avg. 15 minutes/business
Unable to Comment:
Beirao Cafe, Valley Falls Liquors, La Casona, Dominican Restaurant, Tropical
Restaurant, Colombian-American Liquors, Tesana Health Foods, Jewelry Store
863 Broad Street – Casa Del Pueblo - Domingo Mora - Operator
Thinks the consultant’s suggestions are perfect.
Domingo is aiming to move from renter to owner and is currently trying to purchase the
building from his landlord.
Wants to expand his business and just purchased a liquor license from the city. He will
be hiring more employees soon so he can focus more on business instead of just daily
operations. Wants more tables, music, etc.
He wants to begin a marketing campaign in Spanish and English to bring in more
customers.
747 & 751 Broad Street – Frank Borges - Owner
401-744-1514, [email protected]
Is interested in historical benefits of structure and how he can capitalize on business
development financing opportunities. He has a mission statement and business plan
developed.
He will be opening a new internet product wholesale and retail store as well as a physical
E-Bay store and internet product sales location.
Frank wants to sell Broad Street products on an online medium. He wants to know how
he can help his business help the community.
724 Broad Street – Las Americas Supermarket & El Rodeo - Maria Floriana – Operator
401-729-1481, Genero Rodrigo - son (Las Americas), Jose Islas – son in-law (El Rodeo)
Maria has tried on numerous occasions to purchase building from the landlord but she
does not want to sell. Maria has lots of ideas to expand business if she was able to
reconstruct parts of the stores she owns.
Landlord will not fix anything in building. Maria has been broken into multiple times, but
landlord will not install security system or fix windows, doors, etc. When Maria first
opened her business, the city required the landlord to install a new fire system within 3
months. It has been three years and the landlord will still not install the fire system.
Maria’s rent is $900/month, so she cannot afford any business insurance.
Has contacted Progreso Latino, but they were unable to help her.
El Rodeo’s lease ends in September, and because of the frustrations and cost, will not
likely renew lease.
Owner Information: Maritza McRae – 508-336-2753
757 Broad Street – Maria’s Boutique – Operator
401-724-1888
She has asked about purchasing the building, but landlord said building is worth
$1,000,000, so she has given up on trying purchasing it. She is nervous about obtaining
apartments above the retail anyway, saying that there will be lots of problems with
tenants.
Owner Information: Joe – 401-725-6825
777 Broad Street - Curiosidades el Rey – Cecilia Rodriguez - Operator
401-475-1807
Cecilia was concerned that the consultant’s plans would include widening road and
demolishing all building alongside of it. She commented that this was a fear of
neighboring businesses.
She said the streets are not walkable because there is too much traffic and it moves too
fast. She would not like her children walking on the sidewalk. Would like to see vehicles
slow down or create some sort of buffer along sidewalk. She understands that parking
should be in clustered/rear parking lots.
Cecilia has looked into purchasing her building (which includes two first-floor retail
spaces and apartments) and was quoted $350,000. Her sister-in-law (who is in the real
estate business) said it was too expensive so she has not followed up on it.
793 Broad Street – 4K Insurance Agency, Inc. – Aramis De la Rosa – Operator
401-728-6211
Aramis likes the consultant’s work but wants to know where the money is going to come
from. He says that the cities will not pay for street improvements and that the owners will
have a tough time paying to fix up their tenants businesses.
He has already received loans to purchase equipment for his business. But he said that
this was when he had good credit. SBDC and Progreso Latino said that they can only
help him when he has good credit, but where is the help when people have poor or no
credit? He does not want classes or business education, he wants financing. His wife and
four children were just deported so he had to take out money to pay for their new
situation in their home country which in-turn gave him bad credit.
Aramis runs a successful business and would like to expand and own the building, but
says in American business, you need credit and now he cannot get money. How can he
get lenders to talk to him? He wants to stay on Broad Street but he does not necessarily
want the building he operates in.
Owner Information: Marcos Pena – 617-680-1336
National Heritage Corridor HQ
One Depot Square
Woonsocket, RI 02895
(401) 762-0250
July 21, 2008 meeting with BRV National Heritage Corridor (NHC), RIHPHC
Attendees:
Jan Reitsma
BRVNHCC
Kevin Klyberg
BRVNHCC
Joanna Doherty
BRVNHCC
Pam Kennedy
RIHPHC
David Westcott
Maguire
Krista Moravec
Maguire
Discussion Topics
Conduct New Inventory
Signage & Connectivity
MyTown
Conducting New Inventory:
Heritage Landscape Inventory (HLI) from NHC – new method of conducting a
broad inventory, used for nodes and groupings of sites, collections of resources. This is
not targeted for specific structures or sites. Uses degrees of significance and threat to
narrow regional sites to around six. HLI’s include an action piece that suggests protection
and interpretation methods. NHC plans to partner with Preserve Rhode Island for funding
and could begin planning in Spring ’09. This is currently being implemented in the
Massachusetts side of the NHC. This piece should be conducted after site specific
inventories and should be included in the action plan.
RIHPHC Site Inventory & Certified Local Government Grant (CLG) from
RIHPHC – This money should be used for conducting site specific inventories. Could be
conducted prior to an HLI but is very expensive and time consuming. Inventory should
only be used for sites located on Broad Street due to constraints. This will be a small
piece of the larger project, but should be included in the action plan.
Signage & Connectivity:
There is a difference between private signage and public or NHC signage.
Signage must be thoughtful and relevant to the new demographics and heritage of the
NHC – bilingual is an inclusive measure.
There are multiple separate pieces – the bike path, river, rail, wetlands, Slater
Mill, Lonsdale Village, Jenks Park, etc. – how can they be connected and tied together?
Bridging those connections, like a possible point at Ann & Hope – connects to river, rail,
marsh, bike path, Lonsdale. This could be a gateway from community to these uses, and a
gateway from these uses to the community.
Physical signage issues as well as connectivity should be discussed with Joanna
Doherty in further detail.
MyTown:
Youth Leadership program could become part of the NHC’s Centennial programs
and future budget inclusions of NHC and RIHPHC. Details below:
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF CENTENNIAL PROJECTS & PROGRAMS
June 28, 2007
A. SCREEN OUT CRITERIA
To be considered, all proposed projects & programs must:
•
•
•
•
•
Provide for authorized activities that benefit one or more of the 391 units of the
National Park System.
Contribute toward at least one of the five centennial over-arching goals as stated
in The Future of America’s National Parks.
• Stewardship
• Environmental Leadership
• Recreational Experience
• Education
• Professional Excellence
Be consistent with all Federal, Department of the Interior, and National Park
Service (NPS) management policies and park planning and compliance
documents.
Require little or no additional recurring NPS operating funds to be sustainable.
Have partner(s) willing to contribute at least 50% of the project cost in cash from
non-federal sources. (Funding does not have to be in hand at time of proposal).
B. EVALUATION CRITERIA
All projects & programs that meet the above criteria will be evaluated based on the
extent to which they:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Contribute toward the accomplishment of a specific centennial goal.
Are for projects that support specific performance goals. Priority will be given to
those identified in the centennial report, such as:
o Improve the condition of a park facility as demonstrated by a lowered FCI.
o Improve natural resource as measured by vital signs inventories.
o Increase number of volunteers and enrollees in Junior Ranger program.
o Increase the use of alternative energy fuels.
o Are designed to attract more visitors.
Address a critical, high priority need of the Service (i.e. are drawn from the 5 year
construction, repair/rehabilitation or other national or regional program priority
listing).
Have a ready, willing and able partner (the higher the percentage of contribution
the higher the consideration).
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of park management, operations and
employees.
Are imaginative, innovative and collaborative in meeting centennial goals.
Benefit multiple parks or contribute to national initiatives.
Produce measurable results.
Bank of America
375 Broad St
(401) 721-2206
April 22, 2008 conversation with Bank Manager John Tavares
How many people do you employ?
A total of eleven (11) employees, nine (9) of which speak Spanish.
Do they live locally?
There are scattered over the area, but about 60% live locally.
How many people do you serve on an average day?
There are around 30 – 40 (meetings), but a total of around 800
transactions.
What percentages of customers are local, from the city, or visitors?
85% are local.
How many account holders do you have from the local area?
There are approximately 3,000 households, 90% from the area.
Statistics on account holders, ex: ethnic groups:
75% - Hispanic
10-15% - Cape Verdean/Portuguese
10% - African, White & African-American
Statistics on loan activity, ex: avg. amounts, ethnic groups, small
businesses:
This bank branch only handles loans in the $5,000 – $250,000 range, and
there are not many customers asking for loans.
What are the bank’s local market priorities?
BoA is new to the region, so they have smaller market shares in the
Boston-Metro area. BoA wants to expand their footprint and gain a larger
share of the market.
At a local level, Tavares wants to enhance relationships and increase local
residents’ comfort with the banking institution. He wants to focus on
business owners: education and supporting them. He wants them to
understand that if they need to grow their business that BoA has the
resources that they need.
Ann & Hope
1 Ann & Hope Way
Cumberland, RI 02864
(401) 722-1000 x374
[email protected]
May 8, 2008 conversation with President and Owners Sam & Irwin Chase
Ann & Hope Issues:
They have had a number of developers look at developing the Ann & Hope complex, but
have had no offers.
The Chases blame this on:
Too wide to develop; it is around 100’, but developers look for 70’. This extra
width makes it prohibitive to make residences.
They are aiming for residences at a level below the Ashton Mill redevelopment
which sells at $900 - $1,000 per month.
The current poor housing market
The loss of the Rhode Island Historic Tax Credit
Access to financing
The Future of Ann & Hope:
The complex is 470,000²ft and A&H currently only uses about 215,000²ft, and
would condense and use less floor space if a buyer was willing to move in.

A&H considers the ground floor on the northwest corner of the property their
most lucrative of the complex. It is structurally sound, but is dotted with support
columns, so corporate box stores, chain grocers and department stores were not
willing to move-in.

A&H is currently undergoing improvements scheduled for 2010:
New Roof
New Air Conditioning
New Fire System

A&H plans on keeping the complex as their distribution center and corporate
offices, but are willing to be flexible.

They are open for suggestions on what to do with the complex.
Sam Chase wanted to note that the tax credit helped generate $5 for every $1 spent, but
only back to the local governments, so the state never realized the fiscal benefits.
Anthony Nobrega
875 Centerville Road, Building One
Warwick, RI 02886
Long time resident, Former Town Council member, and owner of Scoop at the Falls
Walking Tour was held July 14, 2008, 10:00am, met at Cumberland Town Hall
Walked down Broad Street through the Valley Falls Section.
Much of the discussion was on developing an historical (1950’s-present) context for
Valley Falls; what the spirit of community was like, previous sites and structures, and a
few suggestions and comments for the future development of Broad Street.
Historical Context:
Currier Mansion – rival the mansions in Newport was lost to a fire (across from Town
Hall and parking lot)
Our Lady of Fatima Church – lost to a fire Dec. 31, 1962
Multi-use structure (first floor retail, upper floors living space) was torn-down by the
Town to provide parking for the Town Hall
Commercial strip north of Town Hall – Barbershop, Santos and Gonsalves Meat Market,
Pharmacy and Spa (Soda Fountain)
Galindas Auto (owned by Danny Alves) has been there for generations. It is very
common for auto uses to be on Broad Street in Valley Falls.
Roger’s Hardware (Ace) has always been there. Roger’s had to fight the city to get the
building built on the sidewalk (in the same footprint as the previous building).
Formally 4 strip-clubs in Valley Falls section – “made it more of a destination than
Providence”
Large parking lot next to Church used to be the Nun’s Rectory for the former Catholic
School.
Besides the former commercial area next to the Town Hall, the CVS corner used to be a
popular meeting spot: multi-use commercial strip that held Sullivan’s Spa (Soda
Fountain), Antone’s Shoes, and the Post Office for a time.
The Sovereign Bank used to be the local movie theatre prior to being torn down.
Glass-Craft used to occupy the warehouse portion of the Ann and Hope.
Parking is an issue for the commercial strip across from the Anne and Hope. Shops have
struggled there for years.
Ownership:
George Diaz (the largest individual taxpayer) owns the former paper mill behind Roger’s
Ace, and parking lot next to Colonial Bakery. Also owns Jorges Auto – the former Fire
Department building.
Lonsdale Concrete owned by Joe Almeida
The Fair Property and building in front of Lonsdale Concrete owned by Joe Amoral
Comments & Suggestions:
Tony believes that Valley Falls differs from Pawtucket and Central Falls in that most
changes here should be cosmetic issues: electrical lines buried underground, decent light
posts, repaving, sidewalk improvements, weeding, etc.
This is a tight-knit community and working together on projects is very common. Most of
the land uses have been in-place for generations.
The “decline” of Valley Falls’ main street has been caused by: increased popularity of the
car, large malls, chain box-stores and pharmacies, a decrease in the Portuguese
population, and cosmetic neglect.
Tony remembers when people would be congregating at the two commercial strips and
walking to the movie theatre, grocery shoppers all owned their own buggies; everyone
walked to their destinations. He suggests the main-street vitality comes from vibrant
commercial density and residents walking between shops and home.
Tony says that parking is not an issue in Valley Falls, there is on-street parking the entire
length of Broad Street, it is more a matter of drawing people and businesses to the area.
This is where he says physical cosmetic changes should take place.
SPIRIT Program_- July 31, 2008____________________________________________
Between 50-80 8th – 10th grade students from Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls
SPIRIT Summer Program focuses on Downtowns, Main Streets and Urban Development
studies and issues.
One of their topics this summer is the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative.
The tour was a one and a half hour discussion and walk from Jenks Park to the Notre
Dame Hospital in Central Falls, Rhode Island - approximately1/2 mile.
Students became increasingly interested as the discussion progressed – they were able to
connect some points and see the complexity of comprehensive regional planning. Why
do the students want to leave their communities when they ‘grow up’, where do they
want to go and why? Then we turned the discussion towards making their communities
the way they would like to see them. Why are our communities the way they are and how
can we make them places we would like to stay?
At the end of the discussion and tour, questions were raised by the students ranging from
funding opportunities to gentrification concerns, as well as wondering how they could
become physically involved – they were not satiated with “contact your local council”.
The participants also began to make suggestions:
Pool/Water complex (Jenks Park)
Recreation Area at A&H is a great idea – soccer is needed
Make it easier for public transportation usage
Movie Theatre
Community Center – Tutoring / some place for youth to hang out after school –
off the street but away from home
Very few student job opportunities (entry-level)
In general, the participant consensus was that they are bored and there is a need for
physical manifestations of youth inclusion into the city. They believe that crime, safety,
community participation, education, etc. are directly related to youth tedium.
The Blackstone Academy plans to include the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative into
its Fall 2008 curriculum so students will be able to become actively involved in this
community regeneration project.
Program Contacts:
Carolyn Sheehan – Director – 401-726-1750 x102 – [email protected]
Diego White – SPIRIT Coordinator – 401-374-1752 – [email protected]
Pictures can be found at www.broadstreetexperience.com
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2797
June 12, 2008 conversation with RIDEM’s Cynthia Gianfrancesco, Elizabeth Stone and
Sarah Clark
RIDEM Interest in Broad Street:
Brownfield Assessments: reuse of underutilized property.
Regional partnerships in underserved communities
Public access to open space – bike path, parks, river, marsh
Partnership with RIDEM:
Targeted Brownfield Assessment
Identify 100 possible Brownfield properties within the corridor
Conduct Phase I assessments on approximately 50 properties
Environmental Justice League
Property Requirements:
Must have contamination – can be seepage from neighboring properties
Must be underutilized
Cannot have a current action by EPA or DEM
Must have cooperative owner or they must be tax delinquent for two years
Benefits:
Identifies properties that are contaminated
Phase I’s allow property to be sold with lender support – becomes a marketing
tool for redevelopment
May become easier to replace absenteeism with owner/operators – focus on
properties that want to sell
Increases chances of lender investment
Allows Phase II Assessments to be completed
Disadvantages:
Identifies properties that are contaminated
May require costly site clean-ups in near future (5+ years) – could burden small
businesses that purchase from absentees
Prohibits partner communities from applying for individual Phase I’s on their own
Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation
210 West Ave
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(401) 726-1173
May 23, 2008 conversation with Director Nancy Whit and members of PCDC, LISC, RI
Housing, BSA and REACH
Issues and Concerns of Barton Street Area and Commuter Rail Stop:
Afraid of rising costs if rail develops a stop/increased development
Connectivity of sites to former rail depot within ½ mile radius of structure
Want to develop new housing: rental and homeownership opportunities
Increase mixed-use development
Future Projects:
KeepSpace Initiative looks at connectivity of sites to former rail depot within ½
mile radius of structure
Wants to use data for a T.O.D. proposal
Two phases:
• 1st: Scattered Site Housing: standard tax credit rental
development
• 2nd: Depot Site: 91 residences, 26,000²ft commercial space
and 360 car parking garage (parking is not for commuter
rail)
Wants increased density on depot site; not high-rise though to keep visibility of
the structure.
Estimate $20 million to renovate the depot – so what is the feasibility of the
study?
Project Communication:
Wants to connect with community outreach initiatives, complementary data
collection.
Broad Street Initiative has a more aggressive timeline than KeepSpace, so they
want to integrate their data collection into ours.
2nd Monday of every month is PCDC meetings
Public Meeting Materials
March 24, 2008
First Community Open House
June 9, 2008
Second Community Open House
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Historic Homes
Help enhance the character
of the neighborhood. Many
also contain affordable rental
units.
Triple Deckers
Provide affordable homes
and apartments that offer a
path to home ownership
WHY ARE HISTORIC PROPERTIES IMPORTANT?
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They give the corridor a character distinct from any other place
They provide small scale business opportunities for “Mom and
Pop” retail and for Broad Street’s many unique restaurants
They provide affordable housing in multiple use structures.
They contribute significantly to the quality of life in Broad Street
neighborhoods.
They attract people from outside the corridor to visit, tour, eat and
shop along Broad Street.
Underutilized Mills
Offer storage space, offices,
and shops, and can be
adapted to provide retail
locations, artists lofts and
residential redevelopment
The Train Station
Can be adapted to serve as a
commuter rail stop, provide
public space, and
accommodate retail uses,
offices and/or residential units
Mixed use small retail and residential structures like the one at the left form the fabric of
Broad Street. They are gradually disappearing in favor of larger, single use retail
developments like the one on the right.
FAÇADE RENOVATION
Limiting Signs
Can make the message
clearer and reduce clutter.
When there are too many
signs, nobody reads any of
them!
HOW CAN WE MAKE OUR STORES AND BUILDINGS
MORE ATTRACTIVE?
Flower Boxes and
Sidewalk Planters
Soften hard corners, add
interest and attract more
pedestrians to store fronts.
Façade renovation refers to improvements to the exterior of buildings,
particularly the front. Façade renovation along Broad Street can include
modernizing outdated structures and restoring or adapting historic
structures.
Litter Control
Enhances the appearance of
the neighborhood and
improves the business
climate.
Awnings
Awnings were historically used to provide patrons with shade and
protection from weather. Modern awnings provide sign space and
help tie buildings together visually, but they provide limited protection.
Painting Out Graffiti
Discourages “tagging”,
removes hate messages, and
blurs boundaries between
rival territories.
TRAFFIC AND PARKING
SHORT TERM
PARKING
LONG TERM
PARKING
Surface Parking
Is inexpensive to build at
$3,000 - $5,000 a spot, but
requires a lot of space.
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT TRAFFIC AND PARKING?
Traffic on Broad Street is often very heavy. While heavy traffic annoys
and delays drivers, business owners sometimes feel that high volume
and slower speeds will encourage customers to patronize their shops.
Parking is in short supply along most of Broad Street and residents and
business owners would generally like to see more parking available.
Improved Signal Timing
Can often improve traffic flow.
Where it can be accomplished
cost effectively, signal
synchronization can also help.
Garage Parking
requires less space but at up
to $30,000 per parking spot is
probably not practical for
Broad Street.
Metered Parking
Encourages turnover that is
good for business, but can be
expensive to manage and
enforce.
Walking Biking, and
Taking the Bus
Leaving your car behind will not
only reduce traffic but it will help
save energy too.
Pay Station Parking
Works like metered parking but
is easier to manage and offers
more payment options.
PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS
Street Plantings
Provide shade to cool the
sidewalks and can screen
wires, transformers and other
unattractive views.
Street Furniture
Such as benches, trash
receptacles, information kiosks
and contrasting pavements
improve “walkability”.
HOW CAN WE MAKE OUR STREET MORE WALKABLE?
Help to encourage pedestrian traffic. This, in turn, helps to reduce vehicle
traffic, improve the business climate, and increase the amount of activity
within commercial areas. This board shows some of the elements of
walkable streets that can be enhanced within the corridor.
Handicapped Accessible
Crosswalks
Help to make sure that everyone
can get around Broad Street
Pocket Parks and Plazas
Provide spaces where people
can sit down to rest in an
attractive setting.
Public Art
Creates focal points, adds
interest, and encourages
pedestrian traffic.
Sidewalk Banners
Add interest, announce special
events, and help to create a
sense of place.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Lighting
Makes it difficult to hide or
to conceal nefarious
activities
HOW CAN WE MAKE OUR STREET SAFER?
Police Patrols
Are very effective at
crime control where “line
of sight” is available.
People will not visit areas where they feel uncomfortable. Keeping our
street, parks and neighborhoods safe is an important part of making
Broad Street an attractive place to visit and shop.
Line of Sight
Is essential to ensure the
effectiveness of monitoring
and surveillance.
Public Activity
Public activities such as
concerts, plays, celebrations
and festivals help reinforce
public ownership of public
spaces.
Community Policing
We all have to be aware of
our surroundings and need to
be ready to call for help when
things get out of hand.
Young People
Need creative and
constructive outlets for
their organizations.
FOCAL POINTS
KEY STUDY AREAS
Ann & Hope Complex
Cumberland
Commercial Area
Cumberland
Pawtucket, Central Falls, and
Cumberland received a Preserve
America grant from the National
Park Service for the Broad Street
Regeneration Initiative. The
partner communities are using the
grant funds to help develop a plan
for Broad Street Revitalization.
This plan will focus on five key
areas.
Consultants selected by the
community study committee will
study these areas in detail and to
show how the issues illustrated
here today can be addressed in
each area.
Commercial Area
Central Falls
Jenks Park
Central Falls
Commercial Area
Pawtucket
WELCOME
TO THE PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON THE
BROAD STREET REGENERATION INITIATIVE
HELP US HELP YOU
Cumberland are developing a
plan for a Regeneration of Broad
Street.
Five Issues
This plan focuses on five issues:
• Historic Preservation
• Façade Improvements
• Pedestrian Improvements
• Traffic and Parking
• Public Safety
Five Locations
Five locations are being used to
demonstrate these issues;
• one commercial area in each
of the three communities
• Ann & Hope
• Jenks Park
Ann & Hope
Cumberland
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Because you are involved with
Broad Street, we’d like your
opinions on the ideas we’re
developing.
Cumberland
Please visit each of our
exhibits here today and take a
moment to discuss the issues
and areas with our volunteers.
Commercial Area
Cumberland
Commercial Area
Central Falls
Central Falls
You can help by sharing your
views on the issues and the
places shown here today.
THANK YOU FOR COMING
AND FOR SPEAKING UP!
Jenks Park
Central Falls
Commercial Area
Pawtucket
Pawtucket
BIENVENIDOS
AL SEGUNDO TALLER PÚBLICO DE LA
REGENERACIÓN DE LA CALLE BROAD
Ayúdenos a ayudarlo
Pawtucket, Central Falls y
Cumberland estan usando estos
fondos donados para desarrollar
un plan de Regeneración de la
calle Broad.
Cinco puntos de interés
Este plan enfocará cinco puntos
de interés:
• Preservación Histórica
• Mejoras de Fachadas
• Mejoras Peatonales
• Trafico y Parqueadero
• Seguridad Publica
Cinco lugares
Cinco lugares han sido usados
para demostrar en diferentes
formas como dirigir estos
asuntos:
• Tres de ellos son areas
comerciales en cada una de
las tres comunidades
• el Ann & Hope en su
estructura historica
• el Parque Jenks
Ann & Hope
Cumberland
Lo que tu puedes hacer
Por favor visita cada una de las
exhibiciones que hoy tenemos
aqui y tomate un momento para
discutir cualquier asunto con
nuestros voluntarios en las
diferentes areas.
Cumberland
Commercial Area
Cumberland
Commercial Area
Central Falls
Tu puedes ayudar compartiendo
tu punto de vista en los lugares
que hoy se han presentado aqui.
Central Falls
GRACIAS POR SU APOYO Y
POR VENIR HOY!
Jenks Park
Central Falls
Commercial Area
Pawtucket
Pawtucket
Refreshments
Exit
Traffic and
Parking
Public
Safety
Façade
Improvements
Pedestrian
Improvements
Please visit all the tables.
Historic
Preservation
Focus
Locations
Entrance
Sign In
2ND WORKSHOP
WELCOME
TO THE 2ND PUBLIC WORKSHOP OF THE
BROAD STREET REGENERATION INITIATIVE
HELP US HELP YOU
Cumberland received a Preserve
America grant from the National
Park Service to produce
sustainable development
principles for Broad Street and
support heritage tourism in the
region.
The partner communities are
using the grant funds to develop a
plan for a Regeneration of Broad
Street. This plan will focus on five
issues:
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•
•
•
•
Historic Preservation
Façade Improvements
Pedestrian Improvements
Traffic and Parking
Public Safety
Five locations are being used to
demonstrate ways of addressing
these issues. Three are
commercial areas in each of the
three communities, the fourth is
the historic mill structure at Ann &
Hope and the fifth is Jenks Park.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The grant funds are being used
to develop ideas to help make
Broad Street a more attractive
place to live, work and play and
ways to improve the Broad Street
business climate.
Because you are involved with
Broad Street, we’d like your
opinions on the ideas we’re
developing. Please visit each of
our exhibits here today and take
a moment to discuss the issues
and areas with our volunteers.
You can help by sharing your
views on the issues and the
places shown here today.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
Missed the workshop or
thought of another comment?
Contact Alex Sommer at the
Blackstone Valley Tourism
Council
724-2200
FIND OUT MORE
www.broadstreetexperience.com
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND YOUR SUPPORT!
Iniciativa de Regeneración de la Calle Broad
Refrescos
Salida
Trafico y
Parqueadero
Seguridad Publica
Mejoras en
las Fachadas
Mejoras Peatonales
Por favor visite todas las mesas.
Enfoque
de localidades
Preservación
Historica
Entrada
Firma
BIENVENIDOS
AL SEGUNDO TALLER PÚBLICO DE LA
REGENERACIÓN DE LA CALLE BROAD
Ayúdenos a ayudarlo
Lo que tu puedes hacer
Pawtucket, Central Falls y
Cumberland recibieron una
donación de Preserve America por
parte del Servicio de Parques
Nacionales para producir un
desarrollo de principios
prolongados para la calle Broad y
mantener la herencia del turismo en
la region.
Las tres comunidades estan
usando estos fondos donados para
desarrollar un plan de
Regeneración de la calle Broad.
Este plan enfocará cinco puntos de
interés :
Los fondos donados han sido
usados en el desarrollo de ideas
para ayudar hacer de la calle Broad
un lugar mas atractivo para vivir,
trabajar y jugar; mejorando asi la
estabilidad de los negocios. Como
tu eres parte de la calle Broad, nos
gustaría tener tu opinion referente a
las ideas que hemos desarrollado.
Por favor visita cada una de las
exhibiciones que hoy tenemos aqui
y tomate un momento para discutir
cualquier asunto con nuestros
voluntarios en las diferentes areas.
Tu puedes ayudar compartiendo tu
punto de vista en los lugares que
hoy se han presentado aqui.
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Preservación Histórica
Mejoras de Fachadas
Mejoras Peatonales
Trafico y Parqueadero
Seguridad Publica
Cinco lugares han sido usados para
demostrar en diferentes formas
como dirigir estos asuntos. Tres de
ellos son areas comerciales en
cada una de las tres comunidades,
la cuarta es el Ann & Hope en su
estructura historica y la quinta es el
Parque Jenks.
Dejanos saber lo que tu
piensas
No pudiste asistir al taller de hoy
or tuviste otra idea?
Por favor comunicate con Alex
Sommer en el Blackstone Valley
Tourism Council
401-724-2200
Informate mas
GRACIAS POR SU APOYO Y POR VENIR HOY!
Written comments from June 9th Public Workshop
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More conversations need to happen with residents and potential customers rather than just
business owners in order to determine best ways to increase walkability and improve
business climate
Jenks Park – playground is old; equipment is broken and missing. No good policing to keep
older kids from bothering little kids; 100-200 young kids would benefit; also better lighting
Jenks Park – Add small floral garden, rose garden; community garden
Jenks Park (Art Hanson) – parking off of Broad Street instead, no cul de sac; create a pocket
park off of Broad; fitness trail through park for seniors (abuts senior housing); water
feature/sprinkler for kids during hot days; RISD and installation, fixed art; children’s art, eg.
tiles like those along WPP (Hasbro) or mural (Woonasquatucket Greenway, Riveside Park);
connection with local school programs/ownership
Build upon/use ethnic diversity of corridor and incorporate into signage/awnings. This is not
Newport.
Is this storefront currently vacant? Is this an opportunity to fill a local business meeting gap
in need for area residents? What are those needs?
Jenks Park – is it a destination? This that could make it a destination – farmer’s market,
concert series (don’t know if any of these things currently happen); is it easily accessible for
residential areas by bike/walking – routs should be safe and welcoming; like the idea of
community garden, meets local needs and could feed into farmer’s market concept, creates a
destination
Widen sidewalks and increase shade on sidewalks
Pocket parks/plaza, determine feasible locations
Bike lanes that are safe
Safe crossing areas, slow down Broad Street traffic
Ann and Hope – need bike path connection to something (at Ann and Hope) – where people
will want to go, right now nothing at Ann and Hope. Safer to drive there.
Need to make sure that safe pedestrian connections extend from residential streets to
commercial areas
Plazas and pocket parks faced by shops and restaurants would be better maintained if
privately owned (Pawtucket)
Involve young people of Central Falls in planning and making recommendations for safer
streets; use work by URI planning session as a starting point
Do a safety study (CCPTED) of existing parks and any being proposed
Create more opportunities
Consider a Dexter Street-Broad Street trolley loop or plan for one in comprehensive plans.
The existing replica trolleys in Providence and Newport could be considered.
Bike lanes everywhere
Ann and Hope: interesting idea connecting to the bike path – what is the ownership of the
large open area (old drive in) that the bike path connection would run along? Looks like a
great opportunity to do more with that site in a way that connects with the bike path and
river. There has to be a reason for people to use the bike path connection to Ann and Hope.
Currently none exists. Are there opportunities to fill vacant space with businesses that might
meet local needs and create a destination? Rail crossing is potentially problematic if still
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active. Large parking lot is a real negative on this site. Can they convert to another use,
another potential location for community garden tied to farmers market. Or maybe that is a
possibility for vacant adjacent parcel.
Façade improvements: is there a way to meld preservation of historic character with
recognition of new culture in the community? There needs to be recognition of and
celebration of changing character of this community.
Enlist schools to do murals where graffiti – will instill a sense of ownership/responsibility
Awnings and signage need to reflect current ethnic businesses styles and sense of beauty.
Why do businesses have so many signs? Is there a reason that needs to be identified by
talking to owner to better understand so many signs?
Coordinate with Progresso Latino – digital signage programs. Coordinate with merchants
association on sign design.
What elements of historic preservation should we focus us? What are the most significant
features?
September 23, 2008
Final Presentation
BROAD STREET
REGENERATION INITIATIVE
Central Falls, Cumberland, Pawtucket & the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Cumberland received a Preserve America grant from the National
Park Service to produce sustainable development principles for Broad Street and support heritage tourism in
the region.
The partner communities are using the grant funds to develop a plan for a Regeneration of Broad Street. This
plan will focus on six issues:
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•
•
•
•
Historic Preservation
Façade Improvements
Pedestrian and Streetscape Improvements
Traffic and Parking Management Strategies
Public Safety
Business Growth
Five locations are being used to demonstrate ways of addressing
these issues. Three are commercial areas in each of the three communities, the fourth is the historic mill structure at Ann & Hope
and the fifth is Jenks Park
What have we done already…
1. Workshop #1: How do you experience Broad Street?
A public open house was held to introduce the project. Local businesses and residents talked with communities about what they liked
and didn’t like about Broad Street.
2. Door to Door Visits to Businesses
Each business on Broad Street was approached and interviewed about
what they needed to make their business grow and what they felt
would improve the appearance of Broad Street.
3. Stakeholder Meetings
Major stakeholders on Broad Street were asked what they see as their
future on Broad Street and what is needed to help them grow.
4. Workshop #2: Will these “interventions” enhance your
experience on Broad Street?
A second open house was held to showcase “Interventions”
and focus areas.
Promote Building Façade Improvements
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Establish a façade improvement program
with grants and low-interest loans to businesses
Create guidelines for signs to improve visibility of businesses
Work with the new merchant’s association
Undertake Pedestrian & Streetscape Improvements
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Increase pedestrian amenities with seating, trash receptacles, banners, gateway
signs, and planters
Install kiosks or community message
boards
Provide opportunities for local art associations to create public art for display
such as murals
Identify new locations for public parks
or plazas
Explore the opportunity to allow outdoor seating for local restaurants
Encourage Historic Preservation
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Build local knowledge of Broad Street’s cultural and historic significance
Use historic and cultural resources to attract
visitors
Update community inventories of historic resources
Work with BRVNHC on historic and cultural
programs
Increase site plan review requirements along
Broad Street
Implement Parking & Traffic Management Strategies
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Make better use of existing public parking
lots and on-street parking
Encourage more shared parking
Encourage the use of transit, biking or walking to and through Broad Street
Work with local businesses to create incentives for employees to carpool or take transit
Explore the use of parking maximums and
more flexible parking requirements on Broad
Street
Design for Community Safety
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Encourage building design that creates a safer
environment: storefront lighting, minimize
signs in windows, clearly defined entrances
Add pedestrian amenities to increase activity
on the street
Improve the safety perception of Jenks Park:
more activities at the park, better lighting,
work with the police department, selective
clearing of vegetation
Youth programs for gang avoidance and community pride.
Stimulate Business Growth
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Work with the merchants’ association
Provide technical and monetary support to
local businesses
Involve local banking institutions in a cooperative effort to invest in the area
Identify initiatives would benefit businesses:
SBIC, RIEDC, Chamber of Commerce
Organize events around local businesses
Create and support marketing efforts that
promote businesses: website, brochure
BROAD STREET
REGENERATION INITIATIVE
What’s next….
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Finalize the Action Plan.
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City and Town Councils Adopt the
Action Plan
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Communities work together with
Businesses and Residents to implement Action Items.
Cumberland
What can you do?
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Participate in local events
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Support local businesses
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Attend public meetings to show your support of
the Action Plan and its Initiatives
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Central Falls
Take advantage of programs as they become
available
For more information:
Alex Sommer
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
175 Main Street Pawtucket, RI 02860
724-2200, [email protected]
Pawtucket
Regeneración de la
Calle Broad
Central Falls, Cumberland, Pawtucket & the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
Pawtucket, Central Falls y Cumberland recibieron una donación de Preserve America por parte del Servicio
de Parques Nacionales para producir un desarrollo de principios prolongados para la calle Broad y
mantener la herencia del turismo en la region.
Las tres comunidades estan usando estos fondos donados para desarrollar un plan de Regeneración de la
calle Broad. Este plan enfocará cinco puntos de interés:
•
•
•
•
•
Preservación Histórica
Mejoras de Fachadas
Mejoras Peatonales
Trafico y Parqueadero
Seguridad Publica
Cinco lugares han sido usados para demostrar en diferentes
formas como dirigir estos asuntos. Tres de ellos son areas
comerciales en cada una de las tres comunidades, la cuarta es el
Ann & Hope en su estructura historica y la quinta es el Parque
Jenks.
Que hemos hecho hasta ahora…
1. Taller #1: Que experiencias encuentras en la Calle Broad?
Se dió una reunion pública para dar a conocer el
proyecto. Negociantes locales y residentes conversaron con las
comunidades.
2. Visitas a los negociantes puerta a puerta
Cada negociante en la Calle Broad fue visitado e interrogado acerca
de lo que ellos necesitan para el crecimiento de su negocio y lo que
ellos creen que se puede hacer para mejorar la apariencia de la Calle
Broad.
3. Reuniones con Inversionistas
Se les preguntó a los mayores inversionistas de la Calle Broad que
veían ellos como futuro en la
calle Broad y que se necesita
hacer para ayudarlos a crecer.
4. Taller #2: Aumentaría estas intervenciones tu
experinecia en la calle Broad?
Tuvimos una segunda reunion pública demostrando
“intervensiones” y areas de enfoque.
Promueve las mejoras en las fachadas de los edificios
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•
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Establecer un programa de mejoras en las
fachadas con fondos y préstamos a bajo
interes para los comerciantes.
Crear un sistema de avisos mejorando la
visibilidad de los negocios.
Trabajar con la nueva asociación de
comerciantes.
Emprender Mejoras Peatonales y de Embellecimiento de las Calles
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Incrementar servicios para los peatones tales
como asientos, botes de basura, banderines,
avisos con destinaciones y plantas.
Instalar quioscos o un tablero de anuncios
comunitarios.
Proveer oportunidades a las asociaciones de
arte local para crear y exhibir al publico su
arte.
Identificar nuevas localizaciones para
parques o plazas públicas.
Explorar la oportunidad de permitir asientos
al aire libre a los restaurantes locales.
Fortalecer La Preservación Histórica
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Crear conocimiento local del significado
cultural e histórico de la calle Broad.
Utilizar recursos históricos y culturales para
atraer visitantes.
Actualizar inventarios comunitarios de los
recursos históricos.
Trabajar con BRVNHC en programas
históricos y culturales.
Aumentar un plan de repaso de los requisitos
a lo largo de la calle Broad.
Implementación de estacionamiento y estrategias para el manejo de trafico
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Hacer mejor uso de los estacionamientos
existentes y el parqueo en las calles.
Compartir los parqueaderos
Motivar el uso del transporte, bicicletas y
caminar a lo largo de la calle Broad.
Explorar al máximo el uso de parqueaderos y
mas flexibilidad en los requisitos de
estacionamiento en la calle Broad.
Diseños para la Seguridad
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Motive a construir diseños que creen un
ambiente seguro: iluminacion al frente del
negocio, minimizar los avisos en las ventanas,
definir claramente las entradas.
Proveer servicios a los peatones para aumentar
la actividad en las calles.
Mejorar la percepción de seguridad del Parque
Jenks:
Mas actividades en el parque, mejor
iluminacion,
trabajar con el departamento de policia,
limpiar la vegetación.
Estimule el Crecimiento Comercial
•
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Trabaja con la asociación de comerciantes
Provee apoyo técnico y económico a los
negocios locales
Introduce instituciones bancarias locales en
una cooperativa
de esfuerzo para invertir en el área.
Identifique iniciativas que podrian
beneficiar sus negocios:
BIC, RIEDC, Chamber of Commerce
Organize eventos alrededor de los negocios
locales.
Crea y apoya esfuerzos de mercadotécnia
para promociar los negocios: sitio en la red
del internet, folletos.
Regeneración de la
Calle Broad
Que será lo próximo…
•
Finalizar el Plan de Acción.
•
La adaptación del Plan de Acción
por los consejales municipals y de
la ciudad.
•
Comunidades trabajando en unión
con los residents y comerciantes
para implementer Articulos de Acción.
Cumberland
Que puedes hacer?
•
Participar en eventos locales.
•
Apoyar los negocios locales.
•
Atender las reunions públicas demostrando
apoyo al Plan de Acción y sus iniciativas.
•
Central Falls
Tomar ventaja de los programas cuando estos
sean disponibles.
Para Mas Información:
Alex Sommer
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council
175 Main Street Pawtucket, RI 02860
724-2200, [email protected]
Pawtucket
Collective Public Comments
Broad Street Suggestions and Comments
These comments and suggestions were taken from the one-on-one interviews. They have
been collected into sections by topic relevance.
Facade
Likes the Walgreens: looks clean and organized. Likes the sneaker store.
Match lighting: aluminum poles, wattage
Murals. Give materials to people to fix up places (paint).
Add flower pots, banners.
Must improve the looks of the fencing and overgrowth on A&H.
A&H trees are not taken care of.
Train Station construction eyesore (sitting too long).
Would like help/funding improving façade.
Improve streetscapes. Repair and remodel houses.
Better façade, new paint.
Upkeep facades.
Improve the looks of the businesses.
repair/remodel houses and improve streetscapes
façade improvements, new fencing, wants the area to be matching
There is no maintenance
Wants a uniform look, plazas and help with improving facades.
Create context sensitive facades
Develop a set of signage considerations
Create incentives for building reuse and façade rehabilitation
Develop criteria of quality, not design criteria - diversity is admired
Business and façade improvement
Facade improvements should reflect cultural diversity, not just historical value
Efficient and uniform signage programming
Governance/Ownership
Businesses don’t have support from the mayor
City & Owner don’t care about tenants
City needs to help more
City does not maintain sidewalks or pick up litter.
Too bureaucratic.
The City needs to help get rid of bad landlords and help operators. Enforcement of laws.
No maintenance
Increase youth participation in the planning and action of the Initiative
Cleanliness
Want streets to be cleaner.
Comes back from vacation to find everything dirty.
Goes to Stop & Shop in Cumberland. Don't shop here because they are dirty.
Tries to clean, but it doesn't matter: it all blows in off of Goff
No garbage bins
Likes Canada: clean, no garbage, the city cleans it up.
1
Fix the timing of garbage pick-up, should be early in the morning so commercial
storefronts do not have to have garbage in front of business all day.
He cleans up his own property.
Garbage.
Instill pride in community not to trash area
Clean streets.
Community/ Walkability
More vibrancy.
Wants more people on Broad Street.
Good neighbors
Likes Miami because people are moving around
Is looking to move to North Providence
Mall, park/plaza, but not Jenks
It is too noisy and nowhere nice here
No pedestrians
His hometown has things this place doesn't (Pereira, Colombia)
Meet friends at a house, there is nothing here to meet friends at
Pedestrian safety, especially for elderly crossing the street
Likes Cumberland: small shops, trees, greenspace, comfort
Would like to have live music/concerts
Wants Café, coffee, and ice cream in area. Wants to walk with friends.
Wants more activity
Know everyone, close knit.
No more customers in the area.
Add parks (like Nickerson St.) community gardens.
Excited about this initiative
Wants a Dominican festival
Knows all the locals, has lots of regulars
Wants to be involved in project
People are stuck in the past, have to update to 2008. Wide streets, no one walks, parking
in front so you can drive in and out easy. Likes chain store development. Interested in
uniting businesses.
Street is simple and dirty.
Nights are really bad.
Repair the broken roads and sidewalks. Add flowers and green space.
Likes access to river, walking track, OSRAM, health clinic, small businesses, banks
Outside seating. Barrier between business and road. "Territoriality". Canada example.
Need more customers and people walking by.
Valley Falls should be more beautification and walkability – maintenance
Not enough lighting.
Walkable area with café and drinks, maybe ice cream. Greenspace, trees, flowers
Small. Noisy.
revitalize Jenks Park, more activity
Create plazas - sit on the "blvd.” Wants street-stalls
wants it like Broad Street in Providence, more life
2
4th of july parade, fireworks
Wants a Colombian 'Carnival'.
Create a festival, café
Wants it to be like Paisa, Colombia.
more multi-cultural
Develop/enforce criteria for maintenance of sidewalks
Increase the on-street foliage/greenery
First-floor (especially corner) properties must be more welcoming to pedestrians
Develop gateways/nodes at important intersections
There is a need for local historic education
Create safe areas where residents can people-watch that encourage loitering and do not
necessitate buy-in
Program events that reach out to teenagers and young adults
Improve the greening of the streetscape
Enhance night lighting
Create a chain of pocket-parks along corridor – leap-frog green space
Additional access to Lonsdale marsh area
Cultivate connections from neighborhoods to commercial districts
Educate public on historical preservation
Make connections between commercial districts and the bike path more obvious
Parking & Traffic
More parking spots
Parking tickets are too expensive.
Widen the street.
No parking
Taxis too expensive
Likes street width. Ease of access to Highway
Too much traffic
Traffic (2-6pm).
Everyone should have parking lots in front.
There are always car accidents with cars turning corner at Pleasant Street and Broad
Street coming over the bridge.
Bumpy, lots of holes in road. Broken pavement
Out-of-school traffic congestion
Small. Too many cars. Bad traffic
Remove vehicles from properties with street and sidewalk frontage
Improve vehicle-traffic congestion
Improve streetscape maintenance and waste management, sidewalks
Enhance the street walkability
Encourage alternative transportation methods – user friendly
Develop localized public transit routes – Dexter/Broad Loop
Create a chain of mini-destinations within visual distance of each other
Make connections between commercial districts and the bike path more obvious
3
Businesses/Economics
Likes the restaurants
People don’t have money to buy goods
Need more 'stuff', more advertising
Wants Movies/Mall
Active bar across street (good thing)
Mall, Providence
Vacancies
Shops in Providence or Attleboro. There is nothing here to buy.
Shops at Price-Right, Lonsdale Ave. Does not shop anywhere on Broad Street
Likes Auto parts store, Wants a discotheque
Locals cannot afford his products. No drive-by business
Needs help with loans, not business planning
Family was deported and cannot get money to purchase building because of no or low
credit.
Would leave area if he could. Considers the area 'inner-city'. Locals don’t have bank
accounts so he can’t finance them.
Broad Street is 'death for business', it is not alive
A&H should be like Uxbridge Mill - Indoor farmers and craft market.
Businesses need economy to improve before they are willing to invest.
Increase local wages.
Increase opportunities for small businesses (tax incentives).
More commercial needed.
Cannot speak English to customers.
Wants street-stalls
Will be moving as soon as she can. Contract is over in September '08 and wants to move
store.
Does not want to be pushed out by a mall, big buildings or high rent.
Likes the gas-station
Landlords take advantage of Operators. Buildings are not up to code and will not be fixed
or secured. Continued break-ins.
Create a Latino Business Expo area. Business Classes for Hispanics/English offered 710am
Wants upscale steakhouse restaurant
Nothing will change until operators own building. Some groups will not help her when
she needs it.
Wants a good, upscale restaurant, like a steakhouse
A new health center.
Develop a plan for vacant storefronts
Density is only liked if it is active and without commercial vacancies
Develop/Encourage entry-level job positions for High School aged residents
Encourage a variety of commercial development
Encourage the development of a movie theatre
Determine opportunities for community businesses
Develop a system for vacancies to be turned over quickly
4
Crime/Safety
Close the liquor stores (Pawtucket especially) because of the prostitution.
Lighting of parks - valley falls, dock, Jenks, etc.
Has cleaned up over the past few years
People drinking in street & asking customers for money.
Bums asking for money.
Prostitutes. No visible police. Drunks.
Bums live across the street in station.
Lots of vagrants.
People asking for money, prostitution, drug use
Homeless live in Train Station.
Not enough lighting.
Prostitution all day and night.
People are afraid to talk about witnessing crime.
More police presence. More and better lighting.
Light and security. People afraid to talk about increasing crime.
More police visible and lighting
More security between City Hall and pharmacy by Hasbro in evening. Push people into
Jenks Park and rob them.
More visible police
Illicit people
Increase visibility of public places/parks from street – for safety and use
Safety is a huge concern, especially in public places
Increase activity levels and policing within parks and public areas
5

appendix - City Of Pawtucket

Transcripción

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