THE TRANSFORMATION OFDOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE

Daniel Baudouin

For the 2014

NJ Redevelopment Forum

dbaudouin@provfoundation.com

Providence, RI:

Population: 178,000

Region: 1.1 million

Downtown workforce (02903 zip): 38,980

Downtown size: 130 acres

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Assets

• Location between Boston & New York

• Train station (Amtrak/MBTA)

• Colleges & universities• Arts• State capital• Compact size• Historic fabric• Restaurants

Pizza (#1)

Hamburgers (#1)

Fine-dining restaurants (#2)

Sweets/desserts (#2)

What sparked the redevelopment process?

6 main projects

• Rail relocation• River relocation• Downcity/Westminster

Street transformation• Providence Downtown

Improvement District• Downtown Providence

Parks Conservancy• I-195 relocation

Rail Relocation/Capital Center

River Relocation

Downtown Revitalization

Downtown Parks

DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE

I-195 Relocation

RAIL RELOCATION/CAPITAL CENTER

RAIL RELOCATION/ CAPITAL CENTER

RIVER RELOCATION

RIVER RELOCATION

DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION

DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION

Peerless Building, Westminster Street

AS220 Mercantile Block

Decor Craft Inc.

Wilkinson building

The Arcade

DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

PROVIDENCE DOWNTOWN

IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

DOWNTOWN PARKS

DOWNTOWN PARKS: Kennedy Plaza

I-195 RELOCATION

I-195 REDEVELOPMENT AREA

20 years of downtown investment: What has it produced?

• Total space rehabilitated and/or constructed (including Jewelry District and Capital center): 11 million SF

• Private investment: >$2 billion• New housing: 1,400 units; 98% occupancy• Employment: 38,980 (02903 zipcode)• Retail: 27% vacancy (2003) 13% (2013)• WaterFire alone produces 1,000,000 visitors &

1,300 jobs

Why has Providence been successful? Fundamental elements

1. Create a vision that is bold, yet rooted in community assets.

2. Get consensus.3. Have strong leadership.4. Have cooperation and buy-in from all levels of

government, private sector, individuals and institutions.5. Develop good communication among key stakeholders.6. PERSISTENCE! Have long-term viewpoint and long-

term players.7. Celebrate successes along the way.8. Design excellence. Artists and architects add value.9. CONNECT! Cities are about connection.

adapted from Urban Land Institute’s report by William P. Macht: Remaking the Urban Waterfront, 2003 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.

Success

• Use of federal transportation funds

• State investments• Partnership with city• Transit oriented

development• Downcity Fund (Main

Street program)• Organizational

structure

Organizational lessons learned

• The Providence Foundation– Downcity Fund

• Providence Downtown Improvement District

• Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy

Working in partnership with all levels of government!

downtownprovidence.comwww.provfoundation.com