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FF O U N D A T I OO U N D A T I O NN

F O C UF O C U SS E-NEWSLETTER

67 Park Place Pawtucket, RI 02862 | T 401.725.4400 | [email protected]

S P E C I A L I S S U E :

E C O N O M I CD E V E L O P M E N T

Transportation + Housing make Paw-tucket attractive growth area New I95/Pawtucket River Bridge to be crowning gateway Gamm wins second prestigious Elliot Award Downtown sprouts new life—A city on the rise Pawtucket offers affordable urban living Proud Day 2009 an overwhelming suc-cess Landscaping brings value to downtown Awards Celebration success Art Unites event celebrates diversity, honors artist with Pawtucket Founda-tion Prize

Analysis: a decade of downtown investment & economic progress

By its very nature, a downtown revi-talization strategy should contain a set of clearly defined objectives which can be implemented over both the short and long term. Any measure of success is based on the accomplish-ment of these objectives. In 2000, Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency hired Harrall-Michalowski As-sociates and Lambert Advisory to pre-pare a market based strategy for downtown Pawtucket. The plan pro-vided an overview of existing condi-

www.pawtucketfoundation.org | Spring & Summer 2009

tions, a detailed market assess-ment, and it identified Pawtucket’s assets and liabilities. Finally, based on tangible data, it outlined specific recommendations to build a vibrant downtown. Many of these recom-mendations have become a reality: • Development of Parkin Yarn building

• Creation of bus transit center downtown

• Creation of educational/artisan cluster development at former armory

• Creation of live/work artisan space at River Front Lofts and other buildings

In the past decade, the population count of Pawtucket has remained relatively constant despite a signifi-cant decline in average employment in its historically two largest sectors: manufacturing and retail trade. This decline has created opportunities for the City’s administration to find new ways to utilize former mills and vacant storefronts.

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A v e r a g e E m p l o y m e n t

work space on Main Street. At full occupancy, his project could generate approximately 200 jobs. Leasable units at the Kellaway Center will cater to small and start-up busi-nesses with competitively-priced units ranging in size from 120 to 5,000 square feet. The City’s effort to brand Pawtucket as an arts-focused community has had a positive result. New redevelopment projects such as Hope Artiste Village and The Grant build-ing, (both on Main Street) boast thriving arts-related and artisan businesses as well as other entrepreneurial ven-tures. Arts-related businesses are springing up all over the city — including Old School Leather on Main Street which is now open. Within the primary walking shed of downtown, small busi-nesses are emerging in creative and “artsy” market niches. In example, Machines With Magnets, a local full-service recording studio and art gallery, has a wide variety of events and attracts not only industry professionals, but an entire constituency that feeds from the owners’ young, funky and creative roots. Karen Pace, proprietor of Kafe Lila, sells coffee, home-made ice cream and pastries in her store. She recently held an ice cream social on Main Street that was so popu-lar, patrons and music performers spilled into the streets blocking traffic and causing the police to investigate the large, dancing crowd in the normally quiet downtown.

F O U N D A T I O N F O C U S

THE PAWTUCKET FOUNDATION | www.pawtucketfoundation.org

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Riverfront Lofts 60 units

Bayley Street Lofts 25 units

Blackstone Landing 85 units

Mile2 Lofts 14 units

Barton Street Townhouses 14 units

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A significant catalyst for much of the redevelopment that has occurred in the vicinity of Pawtucket’s downtown in the last decade is the resulting effect of Rhode Island’s former historic tax credit program and the creation of a Pawtucket Arts and Entertainment district. These events have allowed and encouraged live/work housing typolo-gies — especially in vacant mill buildings. The most recent crowning gem adorning Pawtucket’s up-and-coming riverfront downtown is the new residences at the former Slater Cotton Mill. This $22M redevelopment project just opened 124 rental units with lots of buzz. The developer, Brady Sullivan Properties, utilized historic tax credits and designed and executed the project with so-phistication and elegance. Many of the tenants who have already moved in to down-town residences clearly take advantage of close proximity to Providence (5 min drive) and Boston (50 min drive). A significant amount of evidence suggests that transporta-tion costs are increasingly having an impact on assessing the affordability of various housing choices. With today’s gas prices, the average monthly commute from Pawtucket to Boston costs nearly $350. In 2008, when gas prices surged to $4 per gallon, commuters were spending $500 or more per month for gasoline. With renewed development interest in the riverfront and increased residential density in the downtown, other speculators are following suit. Ken Kellaway is redevelop-ing 150,000 square feet of office, retail, restaurant and


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Roosevelt Ave Concept 78 units

M-Residential Lofts 39 units

Slater Cotton Mill 124 units

501 Roosevelt Ave 28 units

Union Wadding Lofts 90 units

2 0 0 92 0 0 9 2 0 0 92 0 0 9 2 0 0 92 0 0 9 2009 2009 COMINGCOMING

Above: Interior of a residential unit at Slater Cotton Mill by Brady Sullivan Properties. Below: Chronology of development projects in the vicinity of Downtown Pawtucket.



Transportation + Housing make Pawtucket attractive growth area During the summer of 2008 and throughout 2009, un-precedented high gasoline prices coupled with a disas-trous credit market sent the U.S. economy into a down-ward spiral. The dismal economy reset the housing market with a dramatic correction in home prices. From 2006 to the 1st quarter in 2009, the price for a sin-gle-family home in Pawtucket declined more than 38% making Pawtucket one of the most affordable communi-ties in Rhode Island. The aging supply of tenement multi-family housing fared even worse with a 62% de-crease in median sales price over the same period. Despite the doom and gloom in the housing market, a new supply of market-rate housing in the downtown has emerged for professionals who want an urban quality of life with proximity to the river, city-center, arts, entertain-ment and jobs. In total, approximately 700 new residen-tial units (rental and condominium) have or will become available in Pawtucket’s downtown. As the cost of transportation rises, the appeal of living in the outlying suburbs with poor access to mass transit is beginning to diminish. In fact, new studies produced by the Congress for New Urbanism have suggested that suburban neighborhoods located the farthest from met-ropolitan centers will take the longest to re-cover from the recession. Many of Rhode Island’s most affluent neighborhoods are geographically located approximately 30 to 45 minutes away by car from Provi-dence’s metropolitan center, and they are also the least densely populated areas. Many families are now more aware that issues like transportation, housing and envi-ronmental protection are inextricably linked. This could position Pawtucket as an attractive location for its hous-ing and transportation value. The Housing and Transportation Affordability Index is a new innovation that prices the trade-offs that households make between housing and transportation costs. Plan-

ners, lenders and consumers traditionally measure housing affordability as 30 percent or less of monthly household in-come. The Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, in contrast, takes into account not just the cost of housing, but also its location efficiency, by measuring the transportation costs associated with place. The articulation of a set of “livability principles” is now the

central focus of new policies that support transportation choices, affordable housing, economic competitiveness and stronger communities and neighborhoods. In late June, an extraordinary hearing took place in Wash-ington. The secretaries of Transportation, Housing and Ur-ban Development and the administrator of the Environ-mental Protection Agency appeared together speaking about the need to cooperate on a strategy to deal with the

Cost of gasoline. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

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2006 2008 2009 -1Q

Single FamilyMulti-FamilyCondominium

Median Home Sales Prices—Pawtucket, RI

Source: RI Association of Realtors


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economic, energy and environmental challenges facing the nation. The leaders championed the need for federally-funded competitive grants to assist states and metropolitan areas in developing truly integrated transportation, land use and economic development plans to guide projected growth over the next several decades. The Keepspace Initiative, administered by Rhode Island Housing and a partnership of RI agencies and communities, is a great local example of such an integrated approach to sustainable neighborhood development. If ever there was an urgency to address housing and trans-portation challenges in Pawtucket, the time is now, and the city could not be positioned better. In fact, there are several exciting initiatives in progress that will dramatically improve

transportation alternatives in Pawtucket including plans for a commuter rail stop near downtown, plans for a RIPTA bus turnaround at the South Attleboro MBTA stop, a new Pawtucket River Bridge, the Blackstone Val-ley Bikeway and improved traffic circulation patterns in the downtown.

Annual Household Gasoline Expenses—2000 gas Annual Household Gasoline Expenses—2008 gas

Source: CNT Housing + Transpor-tation Index.

H o u s i n g + T r a n s p o r t a t i o n E f f i c i e n c y In the maps below, Annual Household Gasoline Expenses are calcu-lated using Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) per household, an average gas price from 2008 of $4.14, and an average Fuel Efficiency of 20.3 mpg. All values utilized for this calculation are based on 2000 data with the exception of the gas price. Therefore, comparing this figure to Annual Household Gasoline Expenses 2000 illustrates the significant difference that a change in gas has on the average household's Gaso-line Expenses. In terms of housing + transportation, Pawtucket is among the most cost-effective places in which to live in Rhode Island.



A digital rendering of the design for the new I-95 Pawtucket Bridge shows the lighting pattern for the structure. LED lights will be color-changeable, a feature that will allow the City to celebrate holidays and events with variable colors.

New I-95/Pawtucket River bridge to be crowning gateway When the City of Pawtucket was notified that the I-95 Pawtucket Bridge was in need of immediate replace-ment, members of the Pawtucket Foundation quickly rallied support for the administration to offer input in the design process. Mayor Doyle assembled a Bridge Task-force and appointed local historian and antiques dealer, Richard Kazarian, to spearhead a “public intervention”. Kazarian unveiled the designs for the gateway bridge to the public on April 28, 2009 at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center. Mike Cassidy, the City’s Director of Plan-ning and Redevelopment was also on hand to answer technical planning and implementation questions from the audience. Over the past year, the taskforce collaborated with RI-DOT project engineers, Newport Collaborative Archi-tects, Commonwealth Engineers and Gates, Leighton & Associates. The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Val-ley National Heritage Corridor Commission provided grant funding under a cooperative agreement to facilitate the review of the design and replacement bridge pro-

ject. Under this agreement, The Pawtucket Foundation con-tracted Gates, Leighton & Associates to provide technical design recommendations and considerations for the project, many of which were incorporated by Kazarian and the task-force design committee. The plans, as pictured, call for an “iconic landmark” to re-place the existing overpass. 30 feet-tall art-deco “wings” inspired by the eagle that adorns Pawtucket City Hall will mark the extents of the 300 foot span. During the presenta-tion, Kazarian referenced the New Deal and shared the sig-nificance of the historic inspiration for melding the structure with the existing landscape of buildings and bridges. The bridge’s handsomely arched underpass plays off the historic arches of the neighboring Division Street Bridge. State of the art, LED lights will highlight key architectural features of the new bridge and provide a distinctive glow at night. Lights on the wings, expanse and arch will have the capability to change colors on demand, allowing the City the opportunity to display various colors to celebrate holidays and special events. The expanse of the new bridge’s under-

honor by dint of their great talent, passion and remarkable commitment. Our second Norton Award in as many years is proof positive of the incredible growth of this institution and the sustained excellence of the artists and staff with whom it is my privilege to collaborate every day.” In accepting the award, Estrella was accompanied on stage by Sullivan who earlier in the evening received the award for “Outstanding Actor, Large Company” for his perform-ances in As You Like It at Free Shakespeare (presented by Citi Performing Arts Center, Bos-ton) and Blithe Spirit at Trinity Repertory Company, where Sulli-van is a resident actor.

belly will be expanded from the current bridge, to pro-vide space on the east bank of the river for the planned Blackstone Valley bike path. Kazarian, also a member of the Pawtucket Riverfront Commission, explained that the new design will accentu-ate the Blackstone River. The arch, lighting, pathways and roadside railings were all designed to enhance views and connections between the built and natural landscape. When completed, the new bridge will actually be a col-lection of three bridges: one for southbound traffic, a second for northbound traffic and a third for traffic enter-ing and exiting I-95. New signage is also planned to help identify key Pawtucket attractions like Slater Mill, the Visitor Center and McCoy Stadium.


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The designs for the new I-95 Pawtucket Bridge call for the placement of 4 art-deco “wings” to mark the bridge expanse, a tribute to Pawtucket’s City Hall.

Gamm Theatre wins second prestigious Elliott award The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) was honored by the Boston Theatre Critics Association with its second Elliot Norton Award. This season’s production of Clifford Odets’ Awake and Sing! directed by Gamm Resident Director Fred Sullivan, Jr. won in the category of “Outstanding Performance by a Small Company.” This was The Gamm’s second consecutive Norton Award nomination and second win, having received the 2008 award in the category of “Outstanding New Script” for Paul Grellong’s Radio Free Emerson, The Gamm’s first ever commission. Set in the Bronx during the Great Depression, Awake and Sing! is the gritty, passionate and heartbreaking story of a working-class Jewish family coping with financial hard-ship and dreaming of a brighter future. Odets’ 1935 multi-generational masterpiece ran from Jan. 15 through Feb. 15, 2009 at The Gamm. Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella, who played the role of embittered war veteran Moe Axelrod in Awake and Sing!, said “It was privilege enough just to produce and act in Clifford Odets’ masterpiece. The actors and design-ers, along with Fred Sullivan, the director, earned this

Photo provided by the Gamm Theatre: Actors perform during the award winning play “Awake and Sing”.

Businesses are beginning to sprout new life in Paw-tucket. The old Cup ‘N Saucer at 267 Main Street is scheduled to reopen sometime later this summer. Across the street, Old School Leather, a leather repair and retail shop at 272 Main Street recently joined the downtown market place. Mark Bessette, owner and leathersmith will feature custom belts, book bindings, dog collars and leashes. In addition, Bessette will offer shoe shines and shoe repair work. New businesses play an important role as Pawtucket looks to build a walk-able downtown commercial district and economic center. The infrastructure for such a district already exists in the National Register Historic District downtown. With wide sidewalks, street front-ages and high density of buildings, Pawtucket is well poised for a resurgence. More retail businesses in the downtown should bode well for those already in exis-tence. Karen Pace, owner/operator of Kafe Lila, has expressed her desire for reputable neighbors, even if that means competition. In reference to the planned reopening of the Cup ‘N Saucer, Pace said, “That’s great. I hope they do well. I just want to see more ac-tivity down here.”

At the Kellaway Center, investor Ken Kellaway hopes to create those same characteristics within a single building. The 150,000 sq/ft mill conversion project at 461 Main Street is creating space for retail, light industrial, artists, offices and warehouse space. In addition, there are spaces available for a gym, café, night club and banquet facility. Creating space under one roof has been a successful concept for other developers in the area, includ-ing Urban Smart Growth, developers of the Hope Artiste Vil-lage. Such projects allow rental expenses for individual businesses to remain relatively low by sharing common spaces like conference rooms and bathrooms. Entrepre-neurs may also be able to take over additional space in the building if their business expands. The Kellaway Center also benefits from its walk-ability to downtown and numer-ous housing projects recently developed in the area. The density created by new businesses and mill redevelop-ments is the beginning of creating a downtown neighbor-hood that can serve as an economic destination for the City of Pawtucket. When these projects are put in the perspec-tive of new urban living options, downtown Pawtucket cer-tainly appears to be on the resurgence.



Downtown sprouts new life—a city on the rise

Photo from Kelleway Center The 150,000 sq/ft Kelleway Center at 461 Main Street is now leasing retail, office and light manufacturing space.

Photo by Aaron Hertzberg Mark Bessette shows off his leather work at the newly opened Old School Leather, 272 Main Street.

ban loft apartments starting at $1,025 per month, with a wealth of in-unit and community amenities. M-Residential, 555 Roosevelt Avenue in Central Falls, has contemporary designed, luxury condo units starting at $149,000. Both options are even more attractive when compared to similar developments in Providence. The Providence based Promenade Apartments advertise one bedroom units starting at $1,400 per month, while the 903 Residences, another Providence development, offers condos starting at $187,900.

With units available for 20% less than those in Providence, living in Pawtucket may be too good a bargain to pass up. The proximity of Pawtucket to both Boston and Provi-dence, coupled with good connections through bus routes, local roads and Interstate 95, make Pawtucket an afford-able and attractive housing alternative.

Business Week, a periodical with national distribution, recently cited Pawtucket among the 50 “Best Places to Raise Your Kids in 2009. Housing affordability was a heavily weighted criterion in Pawtucket’s designation on this list. As downtown living options emerge, afforda-bility continues to be a selling point for Pawtucket. The affordability of rental units in Pawtucket has been confirmed with the recent release of Housing Works Rhode Island’s 2009 Fact Book. The average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Pawtucket in 2008 was amongst the lowest in the state at $1,068. Rents for the same sized apart-ments in Providence averaged nearly a hun-dred dollars more $1,163, and rentals in Providence’s pricey east side average even more. Both communities have seen units decrease in price in the face of the current economic downturn, but the disparity is increasing. Providence rents remain over $1,000, while rentals in Pawtucket have dropped by over $200 to $815. With the 24% decline, Paw-tucket rental units are deemed affordable to those making an annual household income as little as $32,600...a steal when compared to Providence units, affordable to those mak-ing over $41,800. Condominium options in Pawtucket echo these trends. The Rhode Island Association of Realtors reports that in 2008, the average sales price of a Providence condo was $205,660, 22% higher than condos in Pawtucket (average price $159,000). In the first quarter of 2009, the average sales price of condos in Providence and Pawtucket was $146,500 and $121,000 respectively. As the economy turns around, there are deals to be had amongst Pawtucket’s various downtown living options. The recently opened, Slater Cotton Mill, offers chic ur-


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Pawtucket offers affordable urban living

Photo from Slater Cotton Mill The 127 year old Slater Cotton Mill offers rental units start ing at $1,025.

For weeks, the Pawtucket Foundation touted its "ambitious projects" planned for the 2009 edition of Paw-tucket Proud Day. On June 10, those plans were real-ized as 103 volunteers representing over 40 local compa-nies tackled seven beautification projects across Paw-tucket and Central Falls. Featured projects included the reclamation of public space between Tolman High School and the Blackstone River and raising walls at Pawtucket's first Habitat for Humanity House. In addition, volunteers worked at Slater Mill, YWCA of Greater RI, throughout downtown, at the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative and Tim Healey Way. Pro-ject leaders at each site noted the incredible transforma-tions that took place on Proud Day. The Pawtucket Foundation thanks all those that made the event an over-whelming success. Volunteers started the morning at Veterans Memorial Amphitheater with welcoming remarks and a pep-talk

from Mayor James Doyle, Public Works Director Jack Car-ney, Foundation Co-Chair Dan Sullivan and Executive Director Thomas Mann. By 9:00 am, volunteers were dis-missed to their assigned work locations. Despite two short, steady spouts of rain, volunteers worked through the morning to accomplish their tasks. The rain did shift lunch inside the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, where volunteers dried off and refueled before returning to their work sites. After a tireless afternoon work session, volun-teers reconvened at the Visitor Center for a group photo and presentation of the Annual Golden Bucket Award. This year's Golden Bucket honoree was Ron Leitao, from the City of Pawtucket's Department of Public Works. Leitao played an integral role in preparing the Tol-man site for volunteers on Proud Day. The transformation carried out by the volunteers would not have been possi-ble without the countless hours of preparation work that Leitao and other public works department workers put into preparing the site for Pawtucket Proud Day. Pawtucket Proud Day 2009 wrapped up with a pizza party to thank all of the volunteers and sponsors for their partici-pation in the event.



Proud Day 2009 an overwhelming success

Left: Volunteers planting trees on the Tolman esplanade. Next Page: Volunteers, mulching at Slater Mill, painting walls at the Paw-tucket Arts Collaborative and raising the first wall of Pawtucket’s first Habitat for Humanity home.

YWCA of Greater RI: Volunteers from Blackstone Acad-emy worked with Erin Combs from the YWCA to clean-up, plant and mulch the YWCA property in Central Falls. The volunteers, some returning to the site after volunteering on Martin Luther Kind Day, were pleased to lend a hand. Downtown Planters and Tree-wells: A handful of volun-teers worked with Public Works employees to clean up, weed and mulch tree-wells and planters in and around downtown Pawtucket. The effort of these individuals brings a welcomed beautification to downtown. Pawtucket Arts Collaborative: Gretchen Dow-Simpson helped guide a handful of volunteers in brightening up the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative headquarters in down-town. The new look brings color and attention a collabora-tive of Pawtucket's most crea-t i v e i n d i v i d u a l s . Tim Healey Way: ARC of the Blackstone Valley volunteers undertook clean up efforts at Tim Healey Way, near the or-ganization's facililty. Despite the rain volunteers finished their target area and moved on to Hank Soars Field to con-tinue their efforts.


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Proud Day accomplishments

Tolman: Over 30 volunteers worked with employees of the Department of Public works and project leads Samantha Best (Magma Design Group) and Mark House (Resource Controls). Volunteers cleared litter, under-brush and invasive species from the site. In addition vol-unteers dug holes, planted and mulched nine trees, made available by a contribution from Central Nurseries. Stu-dents and staff from Tolman joined the volunteer effort and will continue to work with the Pawtucket Foundation on long term maintenance of the site. Habitat for Humanity: Habitat officials guided 20 Proud Day volunteers in constructing external walls of Paw-tucket's first Habitat for Humanity home. At noon, Proud Day volunteers were joined by Mayor Doyle, Representa-tive Peter Kilmartin and other officials for a wall-raising ceremony. After lunch volunteers continued working and by days end three walls had been constructed and ham-mered into place. The duplex at the corner of Jefferson and West, will take roughly a year to be constructed and will be sold to qualified families. Slater Mill: Walter Szeliga, a dedicated Slater Mill volun-teer, lead 15 volunteers in beautifying the grounds of the National Historic destination. Volunteers cleared litter and swept the parking lot, painted railings, pruned bushed and weeded and mulched flower beds. As of this year, Slater Mill hosts Pawtucket's Summer Farmers Market from noon to 3 pm on Sundays, now through Oc-tober 25th.

Vibrant communities have a brand narra-tive that is a compila-

tion of origin, context, symbols and action that attracts people and commerce. The brand narrative begins with an origin that relates the public saga and gives residents a sense of community experience. The cherry tree initiative is an important process in the transformation of an historic mill corridor into a vibrant, pedestrian friendly neighborhood. The result of this pro-ject will create an icon that will represent a resilient place with positive values. Not only will these trees serve as an icon, they will provide a basis to create rituals — the re-peated positive experiences and rites in which residents and visitors can participate. A mere cherry tree festival can be a critical element in strengthening the social fabric of our vibrant, multi-cultural community. Early this spring, over 200 guests braved the rain to cele-brate the dedication of the Cherry Trees of the Blackstone on May 1st at M-Residential, in Central Falls. The cere-mony, hosted by the newly-formed cherry tree committee and Cities of Pawtucket and Central Falls commemorated the installation of 65 new cherry trees. The ceremony sig-naled the completion of the first phase of a multi-year, public/private plan to install over 120 blossoming cherry trees along Roosevelt Avenue between Charles Street in Central Falls to Exchange Street in Pawtucket. The dedication ceremony took place at noon with presen-

tations by Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Japanese Con-sul General Masaru Tsuji, Mayor Moreau and Council President Benson of Central Falls, Mayor Doyle and Council President Kinch of Pawtucket, The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, The Pawtucket Foundation Attor-ney General Patrick Lynch and State Representatives Crowley and Kilmartin. Following the speeches, guests paraded down Roosevelt Avenue led by 20 feet-tall helium filled cherry blossom balloons — the very same balloons used in cherry blos-som festivities in Washington D.C. Guiding the balloons were volunteers from Blackstone Academy, The Jacque-line Walsh School and Tolman High School. The parade ended at the Central Falls/Pawtucket city line with a com-memorative tree instillation and bricklaying ceremony. After the bricklaying, guests returned to the newly reno-vated M-Residential condominium development at 555 Roosevelt Avenue, Central Falls on the Blackstone River. Lunch was served to all in attendance, compli-ments of Pui-O construction. The trees were purchased and installed with private fund-ing and pivotal labor support from Pawtucket and Central Falls public works and planning departments. Mr. Louis Yip, a local developer and prime mover in facilitating the project commented, “this is really a small project in com-parison to the millions of dollars I’ve invested on Roosevelt Avenue.” In addition to the investment on Roosevelt Avenue, the Pawtucket Foundation is working to landscape the espla-nade between Tolman High School and the Blackstone River. The parcel, highly visible from Roosevelt Avenue and Exchange Streets, has been covered in trash, over-growth, invasive species and graffiti for decades. As part of Pawtucket Proud Day, the Foundation worked with the City of Pawtucket, local businesses and Tolman High School to clean-up, clear and remove graffiti. In addition, nine tress were planted on the lower portion of the site. The completed work is only the beginning of what The



Landscaping brings value to downtown

Photo by Thomas Mann A new cherry trees blossom along Roosevelt Avenue.

Commemorative bricks for the Cherry Trees of the Blackstone

Place an order at www.pawtucketfoundation.org/cherrytrees

or by calling 401-724-2200.

Foundation believes can be a visual and recreational amenity if developed correctly. Cur-rently, the City planned to route the planned Pawtucket bike bath on Fountain Street, east of Tolman and the Armory Center for the Arts. The Foundation is now encouraging the City to asses plans provided by Gates Leighton and Associates (top right), to route the bike path from the Exchange Street Bridge onto the Tolman Espla-nade. These plans would pro-vide a superior experience for those using the path and create a riverfront destination along the Blackstone Valley bikepath. These landscaping projects add not only aesthetic value to downtown, but also economic. As John Crompton, a pro-fessor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M and author of The Impact of Parks on Property Val-ues argues, not only can cities calculate the increased tax base from high property values surrounding parks and greenways, but “there is evidence to suggest that invest-ment in parks affects the comparative advantage of a community in attracting future businesses and desirable residential re-locators.” To date, both projects have been completed with private funds and in-kind services from the Cities of Pawtucket and Central Falls. In the absence of public funding, pri-vate companies and residents have stepped forward to invest in the community. Others interested in supporting the Cherry Trees of the Blackstone may purchase com-memorative bricks to be placed in the project area. Prices start at $100 for a standard 4x8 inch brick. Dollars raised will go directly to the maintenance and purchase of cherry trees. Bricks may be purchased by calling 401-724-2200 or online via www.pawtucketfoundation.org/cherrytrees.


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Hospital, Partridge Snow & Hahn and Pawtucket Credit Union; Table Sponsors: Bank of America, Bank Rhode Island, Slater Cotton Mill, Blackstone Valley Community Action Program, Narragansett Bay Insurance Company, Pawtucket Red Sox, Sandra Feinstein Gamm Theatre and Urban Smart Growth; and Vendors: Russell Morin Fine Catering, ATR Treehouse, Quality Rental, Gail Ahlers De-signs, the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket, Hasbro Cake-

mix Studio and a team of hard work-ing committee members. Planning is already underway for the Seventh Annual Awards Celebration to be held in the spring of 2010. Make sure you are there as the Foun-dation continues its tradition of recog-nizing outstanding contributions to the community.


Awards celebration success On March 31st the Foundation hosted its Sixth Annual Awards Celebration at the Pawtucket Armory. Attended by over 270 guests, the event, honored Person of the Year, Tony Estrella, and Heritage Award recipient, Alfred Verrecchia and Hasbro. Quick-witted Master of Ceremonies, Mike Horan wel-comed guests and introduced Governor Carcieri and Mayor Doyle both of whom ad-dressed the crowd and present cita-tions to the Foundation honorees. In addition, the award winners received citations from Senator Jack Reed, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Con-gressman Patrick Kennedy, and Representative Peter Kilmartin. As part of the event, The Foundation also featured its 2009 film, Blueprint: Bridge to Prosperity, now available at www.youtube.com. The evening concluded with honor-ary event co-chairs, Mike Horan and Michele Roberts, drawing winners of s p e c t a c u l a r r a f f l e prizes including luxury seats to several of New England's premier sporting events...Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, and Pawtucket Red Sox as well as an assortment of other gift baskets. As guests left they received com-memorative poster by local artist, Regina Partridge. Her beautiful pas-tel drawing, "Under the Division Street Bridge" really helped enforce our theme, Blueprint: Bridge to Pros-perity. The event was deemed a great success with generous support from Lead Sponsor: Hasbro; Event Sponsors: Bristol County Savings Bank, Collette Vacations, Memorial

Photos by Melissa McKee (Left) Tony Estrella accepts the Person of the Year award from Jack Partridge and Thomas Mann. (Right) Al Verrecchia ac-cepts the Heritage Award from Dan Sullivan and Thomas Mann.

Photo by Melissa McKee Governor Carcieri addresses guests at the Awards Celebration


On May 21, 2009, over 100 artists and interested viewers gathered at the Visitor Center in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for the opening reception of the Third Annual Multi-Cultural Juried Exhibit—Art Unites. The $2,000 top prize, spon-sored by the Pawtucket Foundation, was awarded to Astra Wijuya for his photograph, From Children of Cultures. Prior to the event, The Pawtucket Arts Col-laborative (PAC) and the Pawtucket Foun-dation solicited work in all forms from Rhode Island based artists. After a careful review by jurors Winifred Lambrecht of RISD, Anthony Johnson of RISD and Nancy Peel Gladwell of the Lyme Academy of Art in Connecticut, the work from 31 artists was selected for the exhibit. Artists featured were Mimo Gordon-Riley, Yevegeniya Kishkovich, Ryan E. Venghaus, Maria del Carmen Mercado, Daniel Koter-bay, Irene Allen, Kenn Speiser, Maryjean Viano Crowe, Angel Dean, Gretchen Dow Simpson, Jillian Barber, Hiroko Shikashio, Aaron Usher, Pablo Alvarez, Joan Hausrath, Paul Hitchen, Ruth Emers, Suzanne Lewis, Dan Butterworth, Eileen

McCarney Muldoon, Jiyoung Chung, James Montford, Holly Gaborioult, Dusan Petran, Santos P. Martinez "Pascal", Wendyll Brown, Saberah Malik, Astra Wijuya, Evans Molina Fernandez, George Garcia, and Nancy Gaucher-Thomas. In addition to the juror-awarded prizes, the Pawtucket Arts Collaborative launched its first ever “virtual gallery” to al-low viewers to preview the 31 works selected for the ex-hibit and register their vote for a newly created viewers choice award. In addition to works featured during the exhibit, viewers were treated to a variety of other art forms during the opening ceremony. The Providence Latin American Film Festival director, Jose Torrealba, presented a screening of the Venezuelan film TOCAR & LUCHAR (to play and to fight). The Providence-based youth dance troupe “JUMP!” performed an original dance piece. Music was provided by Pawtucket-based steel pan soloist Jason Roseman.

S p r i n g 2 0 0 9

Art Unites event celebrates diversity, honors artist with Pawtucket Foundation Prize


Artists show off their work at the Opening Ceremony of the

(Left) Thomas Mann presents Astra Wijaya, with the Pawtucket Foundation Prize, $2,000, as the winning artist. (Right) Winning photograph, From Children of Cultures by Astra Wijaya.



The Pawtucket Foundation Board of Directors:

Co-Chairmen John J. Partridge, Esq. Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr. Board Of Directors Robert D. Billington, Ed.D Richard Blockson Donna Brady Vincent S. Ceglie Stephen A. Cronin Alfred P. Degen Francis R. Dietz Gary Furtado Michael Gazdacko John C. Gregory Michael Horan, Esq. Mark House James R. Hoyt, Jr. William J. Hunt Dolph Johnson Richard Kazarian Gail Killian Janice Kissinger Karl A. Kozak Richard Leclerc Elizabeth R. Lewis, Esq. William McHale Esselton McNulty Morris Nathanson Ross Nelson Antonio Pires Michele L. Roberts Gregory G. Scown Stewart Steffey, Jr. Richard Sugerman Stephen Tracey Kevin P. Tracy Ron L. Wierks Ex Officio Mayor James E. Doyle Executive Director Thomas A. Mann, Jr.

Founder $10,000 and above Bristol County Savings Bank Citizens Bank Collette Vacations Hasbro, Inc. Pawtucket Credit Union Partners $5,000 to $9,999 Bank of America Cox Communications Memorial Hospital Navigant Credit Union Narragansett Bay Insurance Company Trustees $3,000 – $4,999 Amica Mutual Insurance Apex, Inc. National Grid Northern RI Chamber of Commerce Pawtucket Red Sox Sovereign Bank Incorporators $1,000 – $2,999 Am-Source LLC Anonymous Bank RI Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket BVCAP Crown Collision Center E.B. Properties Edwards, Angell, Palmer and Dodge Excellent Coffee Gates, Leighton & Associates Morris Nathanson Design J.H. Lynch & Sons Major Electric Supply MG Commercial New England Linen Supply Nixon Peabody, LLP Pascale Service Corp. PRM Concrete PNC Global Investment Corporation

2009 Corporate Partners

Providence Metallizing Pui O. Inc. Resource Controls Richard Kazarian Antiques Schofield Printing, Inc. Teknor Apex Tracey Gear & Machine Works Troy, Pires & Allen Insurance Urban Smart Growth YMCA of Pawtucket Friends $300 – $999 AAA Southern New England Abraham & Company Blackstone Pawtucket Blackstone Valley Shopping Center Conrad Jarvis Corp Key Container Corp Webster Bank

Awards celebration poster featuring Under the Division Street Bridge by Regina Partridge. Posters are still avail-able.

foundation focus 2009 spring summer

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