I am so saddened to hear the news of last night’s fire at Crook Point Bridge. The bridge is a relic of Providence’s history as an industrial port city and had recently inspired many preservation and reuse ideas before the unfortunate events of last night. Local landmarks like the Crook Point Bridge are what give our City a unique character and make Providence feel like home.
We’re incredibly lucky that no bystanders were hurt, however yesterday was a sad day for our community. Thank you to the Providence Fire Department and the first responders who worked through the night to put out the fire and keep the public safe.
We kindly ask that the community cooperate with the Fire Department and law enforcement officials as they work to gather more information about the cause of the fire.
John Goncalves
Councilman, Ward 1
Providence City Council
At last week’s City Council meeting, the Providence City Council passed an ordinance expanding the College Hill Historic Overlay District. This ordinance was sponsored by Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1) and unanimously approved by the members of the Providence City Council.
The ordinance will expand the historic district to protect nearly 90 properties on Governor Street, Benevolent Street, Angell Street, Hope Street, Manning Street, Cooke Street, George Street and Young Orchard Street. The expansion will also include historically significant Brown University owned properties including the Sprague-Ladd House (c. 1850, 1901-2) at 1 Young Orchard, otherwise known as the Orwig Music Building, and its accessory stable buildings at 105 Benevolent.
“I am proud to have worked with my council colleagues, neighbors, the Providence Preservation Society and community partners to expand the historic district and to protect the character and historic vibrancy of this beautiful neighborhood. We heard from so many residents who love this neighborhood and want to maintain its beauty and honor the iconic style and architecture that makes College Hill feel like home,” stated Councilman John Goncalves.
The Council considered testimony from many local homeowners through letters and petitions, along with the input of local groups including Preserve RI, the Rhode Island Historical Society, and the College Hill Neighborhood Association.
“The Providence Preservation Society has been involved in this neighborhood driven effort for years, and we are delighted to see these historic properties gain critical preservation protection. We are grateful to Councilman Goncalves for his continued support as we have advocated for the preservation of this neighborhood,” stated Rachel Robinson, Director of Preservation, Providence Preservation Society.
The Providence Preservation Society has worked since the 1950’s to advocate for the preservation of historic homes and buildings in the City and has worked closely with the City Council on this ordinance.
“Providence is a City with rich historical character. Taking steps to preserve historic homes not only protects local property value, but also assures that Providence develops in a way that is in keeping with the authentic spirit of the City,” added Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan.
This ordinance will connect two existing historic districts surrounding Angell Street and Power Street. To read the full ordinance and view a map of the new district, click here: https://bit.ly/3iPWyIb
“I would like to thank my Council colleagues and our community partners for their work on this important ordinance. We heard residents loud and clear as dozens of property owners shared their support for the creation of a historic overlay district. This is a beautiful neighborhood that should be protected, and that is exactly what this ordinance will do,” added Councilwoman Helen Anthony.
At tonight’s City Council meeting, Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1) proposed a resolution calling on the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) to immediately re-open the public restrooms located in Kennedy Plaza.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Council President Pro Tempore Pedro Espinal (Ward 10), Majority Leader James Taylor (Ward 8), Majority Whip Carmen Castillo (Ward 9), Senior Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas J. Narducci Jr. (Ward 4), Senior Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11), Councilwoman Helen Anthony (Ward 2), Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune (Ward 3), Councilman Michael Correia (Ward 6), Councilwoman Kat Kerwin (Ward 12), Councilor Rachel Miller (Ward 13) and Councilor David Salvatore (Ward 14).
“It is imperative that RIPTA makes the public restrooms at Kennedy Plaza open to the public as soon as possible. The lack of access to bathroom facilities for transit riders, and anyone spending time in or around Kennedy Plaza, has led to serious public health and quality of life concerns. With the City coming back to life as more residents are vaccinated, our City must be ready to meet the needs of our residents and the public facilities they use,” stated Councilman John Goncalves.
The restrooms were closed to the public in early 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as local businesses and public facilities have reopened in recent months, the bathrooms at Kennedy Plaza have remained closed. A host of elected officials and local organizations have called on RIPTA to act, including Rhode Island Governor Dan Mckee and the Providence based Project Weber/Renew.
“Not having bathrooms is a public health emergency: not only for the people who need the bathrooms, but for every single person who is walking or working downtown and is forced to deal with human waste on the streets. In this time of COVID, we see how important public health is. The bathrooms are beyond a matter of simple public health, they are a matter of human rights,” stated Haley Carbonneau, Project Weber/RENEW, Kennedy Plaza Project Coordinator
In July of 2020, a letter to RIPTA was signed by 30 different public health and medical organizations, highlighting the risk presented by the continued closure of the public bathrooms at Kennedy Plaza, including the presence of human waste on City streets.
“RIPTA has a responsibility to reopen their bathroom to uphold the health and dignity of people downtown. With the City Council’s support, we now look to RIPTA to do their part to offer this important service to our community,” added Annajane Yolken, Project Weber/RENEW, Director of Programs
Upon passage, this resolution will be sent to Rhode Island Governor Dan Mckee, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza and the Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, Scott Avedisian.
As the installation of speed bumps at the base of Henderson Bridge have become a consistent traffic and safety hazard, I would like to share with my constituents that I am working with City departments to mitigate this issue.
I have been in contact with the Department of Public Works and City Traffic engineer and we have directed them to explore all options to quickly fix this issue.
While many residents in this area have called for traffic calming measures here, and while we recognize that speed bumps and other traffic calming infrastructure are necessary to mitigate speeding and reckless driving in our City, these speed bumps are too high and must be rectified in a way that does not inconvenience or endanger drivers, vehicles, and pedestrians.
I will continue to work with community members and our City offices to find the best way to keep our streets safe and to ensure that these speed bumps are reduced in height and reconstructed as soon as possible.
John Goncalves
Councilman, Ward 1
Providence City Council
Providence City Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1) has teamed up with residents and neighborhood groups in an effort to reform Brown University’s proposed dormitory development on Brook Street in the Fox Point neighborhood. Councilman Goncalves and concerned community members have shared their dissatisfaction with the current state of Brown University’s building plans and have put forth several suggestions to improve the plan to better fit the neighborhood.
The petition was first circulated on May 17th and has since accumulated over 500 signatures.
“The historic character of the Fox Point neighborhood is central to the area’s aesthetic identity and functionality. As a Brown alumnus, I appreciate Brown University immensely and recognize Brown as a valuable local partner. However, there are several aspects of the Brook Street plan that do not match the unique needs and characteristics of the neighborhood. I hope that residents will take interest in the petition that calls on Brown University to consider the valuable input of the residents who will be most affected by these development plans,” stated Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1).
The petition urges Brown University to ensure the architectural design of the residential building is in harmony with existing neighborhood architecture and that the size of the building is in scale with other buildings and homes on the street. In the current design plans, the building would be much larger and significantly different than the existing architecture in the neighborhood.
Brown University’s revised design plan also removed retail space on the first floor of the building, which the petition calls on to be restored to be inclusive of the local community and contribute to City taxes. While revised design plans included expanded green space, community input indicated that a retail space would be more advantageous to the neighborhood.
Lastly, the petition urges Brown University to preserve three existing, historically significant houses in the area instead of tearing them down.
“Our neighborhoods have been forced to fight back against this once admired institution. In their zeal to build out the institutional zone, Brown planners do not seem to be acting on their promise to consider the context and culture of our historic architecture and genial way of living. Their plan is tearing at the fabric of our community,” stated Liz Mauran, neighbor.
“I would like to thank my community partners at College Hill Neighborhood Association, FPNA, Mile of History Association, and Providence Preservation Society for coming together to advocate for specific revisions to improve Brown’s development plans. I call on residents to consider signing our petition to strengthen our efforts to improve and enhance this development in the beautiful, historic Fox Point Neighborhood,” added Councilman Goncalves.
To read more about the above requests, and to view the petition, click here: https://bit.ly/3hkOChE
I am pleased to share that the Providence Police Department has announced the 70th annual Police Training Academy will commence on Monday, May 24th. The academy will be located in Ward 5, at the former Providence Water Supply Building at 552 Academy Avenue and will run Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
With fifty new recruits, part of the most diverse class in history, this is a great opportunity for our Police Department to grow and improve based upon the unique needs of our city. These men and women will be trained in classroom and role play scenarios on how to best serve and protect all Providence residents and visitors.
In my role on the City Council, I have been an advocate for the expansion, development, and enhanced training of our police force. With a large swath of our existing police officers approaching retirement eligibility, it is crucial that a new generation of officers is recruited and trained. I extend my appreciation to the Providence Police Department for working to get this year’s academy up and running despite the complications presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I welcome this year’s recruits to our neighborhood and wish them the best of luck as they begin their training. I look forward to seeing the value that they bring to our community as future members of the Providence Police Department.
