Iway Streets West, Providence
 
Richmond Street, between Ship and Friendship Streets, remains closed for utility work through Monday. Please follow signed detour.
 
Ongoing Construction
 
Narrowing of city streets is possible project-wide weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dyer Street (between Ship and Friendship Streets), and Friendship Street and Chestnut Street (between Friendship and Clifford Streets) will be narrowed for utility construction. We will continue our installation of new electrical conduit on Richmond Street near Ship Street, and drainage on Dyer Street. Project-wide pavement removal, grading and replacement is scheduled for sections of Friendship, Dyer, Richmond and Chestnut Streets as is curb and sidewalk installation.  Electrical systems are also being built for the future traffic signals.


Iway City Streets East, Providence
 
Narrowed lanes are anticipated on South Main, South Water and Wickenden Streets, while a single lane closure is expected on South Main Street and Wickenden Street, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A change in traffic is coming on June 6, when travel lanes will shift to the left side of the roadway to run along the newly-constructed sidewalks. We will be excavating for new drainage lines, signal foundations and electrical conduit on Wickenden Street, and paving on South Main and South Water Streets.

It was a gala day in the District on Tuesday, as the 195 Redevelopment District Commission celebrated the approaching completion of RIDoT's infrastructure work. Under a tent on the new macadam at the top end of Friendship Street, Commission Chair Colin Kane welcomed Governor Chafee (left) and other officials who have played a role in this transformatory project.

The media were out in force. The dignitaries were gracious in their thanks to everyone involved in the project. Chairman Kane, as always upbeat and looking to great things to come, balanced his enthusiasm with the reminder that no developer will commit to anything until pipes and wires are in the ground. The day celebrated the fact that under nearly two miles of new streets in the District those cable and electric conduits, water, sewer and gas pipes are now ready for action. So is the Commission, which as part of its marketing effort has labled the redevelopment area "The Link" because it reunites parts of the city long separated by the Berlin Wall of I-195.

In his remarks Kane denied that The Link was named for Governor Chafee.

For professional photo coverage of the event, see Sandor Bodo's Providence Journal slide show here.

Iway City Streets West
 
Richmond Street, between Ship and Friendship Streets, remains closed for utility work. Please follow signed detour.
 
Ongoing Construction  Anticipate narrowing of city streets project-wide Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dyer Street (between Ship and Friendship Streets), and Friendship Street and Chestnut St (between Friendship and Clifford Streets) will be narrowed for utility construction.  We will continue to install new electrical conduit on Richmond Street and drainage on Dyer and Richmond Streets. We'll also continue with project-wide pavement removal and curb and sidewalk installation. We anticipate that we'll also grade and replace pavement along sections of Friendship, Richmond and Chestnut Streets.


Iway City Streets East
 
We'll have one lane of travel on South Main Street, from Wickenden to James Streets, for utility work, Monday-Thursday nights from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following day. Anticipate narrowed lanes on South Main, South Water and Wickenden Streets and a single-lane closure on South Main and Wickenden Streets Tuesday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will finish our gas line work on South Main Street. We will also be excavating on Wickenden Street for new drainage lines, signal foundations and electrical conduit. New concrete sidewalks will be installed on South Main and South Water Streets.

It's pouring sidewalks in the Jewelry District.

In keeping with today's landscaping standards, the sidewalks come with what look like oversize tree cuts. This week tree-planting crews began filling the holes with nice-sized  saplings.

Up along East Franklin St. (highway parlance would have called it Service Road X in days gone by) pairs of Hornbeam and Cherry have recently been planted. Not just along the sidewalks, but in the berms and down the embankments along the edge of I-95.

Now the tree planters are moving down the upper restored sections of Clifford (at right) and Friendship. We assume that the tree cuts in the walks down the "hill", below Chestnut, will be leafing out soon, as well.

And, come Spring 2015, the District will show off with its own display of cherry blossoms.

Writing in the New England Real Estate Journal, I-195 Redevelopment District Commission Executive Director Jan Brodie points out some of the many advantages offered developers considering projects in the Jewelry District.

Providence ranked "most exciting mid-sized city"

This past month, Providence has been gathering an extraordinary collection of rankings that reflect its quality of life and livability. It has been ranked the "Most Exciting mid-sized City" by Movoto.com, which recognized Providence's youthfulness, live music, nightlife, restaurants and outdoor activities. Livability.com ranked Rhode Island's capital as the "#2 Best Downtown" in the nation, and Travel and Leisure deemed the Providence the "4th Best Hipster City" in the U.S.

Pretty impressive stuff for the capital city in the country's smallest state.

The rankings speak to one of The LINK's great strengths. Nineteen acres in Providence's downtown, 8 acres of new parks, and a cool urban environment all attract people, especially young professionals, who want to live and work here...

New England Real Estate Journal, April 11-17 2014. Read the entire article here.


Good parks are good for the economy - The LINK

Imagine relaxing in the middle of the city in a verdant park, smiling at the spring colors, watching students throw frisbees, or see an artist's sketch emerge on their pad. Maybe you are taking a lunch break from work, or visiting one of the many historic sites in Providence, or rushing from one campus to another across the canals that sparkle from east side to west. The park you are sitting in or walking through appeals to all senses and changes your experience from just getting there to enjoying your life in the city. I am describing the West Side Park in the middle of The LINK, a 5-acre park being built by RIDOT and ready to be enjoyed in spring 2016.

Well maintained, programmed city parks are as much a part of a thriving urban environment as access to transportation choices, workspaces, restaurants, housing and culture. The new urbanism of today means getting out of the car, and increasingly providing a community where one both lives and works. Walking to entertainments, meals and public parks are what young graduates are seeking. Increasingly companies are looking to attract new employees by locating in urban cores that are able to provide such amenities. Providence is walkable, bikeable, a restaurant capital, and has public parks in abundance. The new residents and workers in The LINK and the city overall will have 8 acres of new parkland to act as their backyard, their connection to nature, their lunchtime and evening entertainment.

New England Real Estate Journal, May 9-15, 2014. Read the entire article here.

Iway City Streets West, Providence
 
Richmond Street (see picture), between Ship and Friendship Streets, remains closed for utility work. Please follow signed detour.
 
Ongoing Construction
 
Narrowing of city streets is anticipated project-wide weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dyer Street (between Ship and Friendship Streets), Point Street (between Eddy Street and I-95), Eddy Street (between Ship and Point Streets) and Chestnut Street (between Friendship and Clifford Streets) are narrowed for utility construction. New electrical conduit will be installed on Chestnut and Clifford Streets, while drainage will be installed along Dyer and Richmond Streets. Pavement removal is scheduled for sections of Friendship, Clifford, Richmond and Chestnut Streets. Curb and sidewalk installation is ongoing project-wide, and wheel-chair ramps are being installed along Eddy Street.

Iway City Streets East, Providence
 
On Saturday, we expect to have one lane open in each direction on South Water and Wickenden Streets for utility work from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Our weekly activities from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday will include demolition and rebuilding of a manhole along Wickenden Street and also work on new gas lines on South Main Street. We'll be excavating on Wickenden Street for new drainage lines, signal foundations and electrical conduit. New concrete sidewalks will be placed on South Water and South Main Streets. Anticipate narrowed lanes on South Water, South Main and Wickenden Streets with a single-lane closure on South Main and Wickenden Streets.

Iway City Streets West, Providence
 
Richmond Street, between Ship and Friendship Streets, is still closed for utility work. Please follow signed detour.
 
We are working weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with narrowed lanes anticipated project-wide. Dyer Street (between Ship and Friendship Streets), Point Street (between Eddy Street and I-95), Eddy Street (between Ship and Point Streets) and Chestnut Street (between Friendship and Clifford Streets) will be narrowed for utility construction. We will be installing new electrical conduit on Chestnut and Clifford Streets, and drainage along Dyer and Richmond Streets. Pavement removal is scheduled for sections of Friendship, Clifford, Richmond and Chestnut Streets, with street lighting conduit installation ongoing project-wide. In addition, wheel chair ramps will be installed on Eddy Street.

Iway City Streets East, Providence
 
Anticipate narrowed lanes on South Main, South Water and Wickenden Streets, with a single-lane closure on South Main and Wickenden Streets weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Wickenden Street, we will be demolishing and rebuilding a manhole, excavating for new drainage and installing curbing. We also plan to place new concrete sidewalks on South Water and South Main Streets.

The 2014 street paving season is underway.

In case you missed the plan when the bond issue went to the voters, here's what's scheduled for the Jewelry District. Will it be this year or next? The map doesn't tell us. Nor are we sure what the hiccup is on Chestnut Street between Friendship & Clifford, nor why the cratered stretch between Clifford and Bassett isn't on the schedule. Click on the map for a larger view.

To see what $40,000,000 gets you
in macadam, click citywide map.

On Sunday May 4, Olin Thompson will be leading a Jane's Walk tour of the Jewelry District. It's part of the nationwide celebration of the work of Jane Jacobs, the celebrated champion for urban spaces as great places for people to live.  Tour details here.

Walks are scheduled all over the city on Sunday. Go out,  take a tour, enjoy a different neighborhood in Providence, one of America's most walkable cities.

For the full roster of sites and the tour leaders, see Jane's Walk website.