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New Year's wishes for Providence?


Cotuit

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Ctownmickey posted something in another thread which prompted the idea for this thread.

What are you looking forward to or hoping for in Providence in the new year? Current projects you're looking foward to seeing? Dream projects you'd like to see happen? Hopes for the art/music scene? Dining... If we can stay calm about it, politics...? Business?

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I would like Citizens (to at least announce) or to build it's "waterfront" campus in the parking lot behind the current HQ. 2 nice towers with all that present surface parking in the lower floors... hopefully making a statement as far as height and design goes. The leftover area can be greenspace... satisfying the "campus" term.

I want this year to be all about corporate/business and less residential. (not complaining)

INCREASE THE TAX BASE!

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I'd like to see the public school system show major signs of improvement and see no funding crisis this year.

In terms of development, a few dream projects (some realistic, some pure fantasy):

A retail center (maybe on the huge vacant lot north of the main PO) featuring Target, Trader Joe's, and Best Buy. Make it fully accessible by bus.

A new Citizens tower on the site of the parking lot by the current Citizen bldg.

More ground level activity Downcity, especially ethnic restaurants.

Major improvement on the Sierra Suites design so that we actually like it.

Progress on some of the slow moving projects like Capital Cove, the Old Public Safety Complex, Produce Warehouse, etc.

Some historic rehabilitation projects including the remainder of the Foundry complex (apparently in the planning stage), the GE Plant across from Eagle Sq., the Old Projo Building on Westminster, the Louttit Bldg, etc.

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I love gregw's New Year's hopes... I have little else to add!

Certainly, I think the most important things for the future of Providence are continued work on the following critical areas for the city's future growth and prosperity:

- Continued "good government" focus by our outstanding Mayor...

- Continued focus on improving the city's rickety infrastructure...

- New emphasis on growing business and enterprenuership in the city...

- A marshall plan to make RI's schools the best in the Northeast by 2010...

If these are successful, everything else will fall into place. Happy New Year to all!

- Garris

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A retail center (maybe on the huge vacant lot north of the main PO) featuring Target, Trader Joe's, and Best Buy. Make it fully accessible by bus.

Sorry, but that's not going to happen. The PO bought that land when the former Quebor Co went out of business. But this would have been a nice alternative site for a Walmart besides the former Ames property on Silver Spring and Charles St.

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Ctownmickey posted something in another thread which prompted the idea for this thread.

What are you looking forward to or hoping for in Providence in the new year? Current projects you're looking foward to seeing? Dream projects you'd like to see happen? Hopes for the art/music scene? Dining... If we can stay calm about it, politics...? Business?

Investment in the future of Providence by:

- Far more aggressive promotion of the city by the Mayor in the national business community

- New emphasis on attracting promoters of concerts by name groups for Waterplace and Roger Williams Park

- A plan to improve the city's transportation infrastructure...street surfaces, large/clear/new directional signs

- A commitment by the city and Citizen's and the Grant's Block players for real towers...20-40 floors

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as Baines said in another thread

"What is required is grand in scale and culturally revolutionary in scope...a change of attitude"

I wish this year that a turn around in Local PRIDE takes place. I feel that one of the only things to make this happen to all Rhode Islanders is the visual change that will take place in our city.. IE:----> adding some more height!

Some people disagree with this.. but I feel that we all have egos, and if that Al burj building were to be built here in providence... YOU ALL KNOW how proud we would be as a state. Even the NIMBY's know how to brag when the time comes.

"Oh come on down to Providence, we have the world's tallest building/structure"

blah blah blah.

Hopefully we get some of this just from 110 westminster being our new tallest.

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Agreed on all of the above.

I would like to see more services spring up around all of the new residential development - grocery store, etc... this will also increase foot traffic which will help the rest of the businesses.

I hope that all of the new projects are successful, i.e. the residences get sold and more business is created because of it.

I also want some more resources (or effort) put into road paving and repair. They're gonna have to start manufacturing special cars for Providence with super suspension systems.

I suppose this list could go on forever so I'll leave it at that.

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Agreed on all of the above.

I would like to see more services spring up around all of the new residential development - grocery store, etc... this will also increase foot traffic which will help the rest of the businesses.

I hope that all of the new projects are successful, i.e. the residences get sold and more business is created because of it.

I also want some more resources (or effort) put into road paving and repair. They're gonna have to start manufacturing special cars for Providence with super suspension systems.

I suppose this list could go on forever so I'll leave it at that.

My New Year wishes for Providence...

1) Apple @ Providence Place - it's my wish and Im very selfish with this one!

2) Ship street canal - I cant exspress how much I'm in love with this particular proposell I would buy a condo on the canal.

3) Complete public education overhaul - As had been said over and over again, the city cannot attract the demographic it is seeking without the public sector becoming as strong as our neighbors. Our system needs more support and be taken off of life support.

4) A central tourism loaction - I hate that the duke boats are pushed behind the Biltmore hotel, I hate that everything touristy about the city is all over the place. I have said this a few times, If it is all centraly located our revenue would increace. Even something as simple as creating an outdoor Kiosk system, in the areas of intrest(kind of like a new signage campaign) And giving the duck boats a more prominate nest were local interst could be menifested would be of use. Ticket booth's for all of our playhouses and thearters, this of course would be done with an innercity network of all said places. And before this wish become more of a rant, when i say a signage campaign i mean something like the "Path of Health stuff".

Thats it for now

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My wishes:

1. Implementation of "Thin" school contracts to alleviate the funding crisis in the schools. (i.e. overhaul of the public school system)

2. Better sidewalks for Providence, please!!!

3. The Apple Store finally opening so I can get my Intel Mac.

4. Burying of the utility poles on Thayer Street to provide a better streetscape. (Ditto for Atwells Ave.)

5. Botanical Gardes for Station Park.

6. A memorial to Nathanael Greene (R.I.'s greatest and most famous military leader). It's high time!

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i want better music acts coming to providence. i want a good venue to see them in that doesn't turn into a nightclub at 10 cutting the music short. i want more free outdoor concerts in the summer (saw roy ayers last summer at waterplace park, awesome!).

i want roads repaved instead of patched (what's the point of patching the same, and additional, holes year after year since the patches just get pulled up by plows?). i want street signs on ALL streets that you can actually read (too many are either non-existent or twisted so you can't read them).

lift the overnight parking ban and make use of permit parking in certain neighborhoods.

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What are you looking forward to or hoping for in Providence in the new year?

Ha -- that's an easy one. Here's hoping the city gains two residents, currently stuck in Flagstaff, along with their company, which consists of a few sheets of paper in a drawer! :w00t:

Urb

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i want better music acts coming to providence. i want a good venue to see them in that doesn't turn into a nightclub at 10 cutting the music short. i want more free outdoor concerts in the summer (saw roy ayers last summer at waterplace park, awesome!).

I agree with this although I think jim and I have disparate views of who would be good :)

Lupo's needs a different location, and a competing venue needs to be brought in. Not just for competition, but for more shows. I can think of 15 bands I would like to see that will likely be doing club tours next year that I will most probably end up having to see in Boston.

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I agree with this although I think jim and I have disparate views of who would be good :)

Lupo's needs a different location, and a competing venue needs to be brought in. Not just for competition, but for more shows. I can think of 15 bands I would like to see that will likely be doing club tours next year that I will most probably end up having to see in Boston.

I think a great spot would be the old "Stiches" location at the Providence Place Mall.

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1.)Steel going up...

2.) Plans for Arcade revitalization

3.) Development moving forward for Power Block and anything for the corner of Empire/Weybosset

4.) Sierra Suites to abandon that site and consider Empire/ Weybosset?

5.) Abolish 2AM closing time

6.) Supermarket open...

And this is just Downcity...The city as a whole....hmmm

1.) Abolish overnight parking ban on 90% of streets that can accomodate

2.) Hold police responsible for sanitation enforcement. NYC has the sanitation police. We are being given new trash bins to curb the rat problem. Enforce it. Enforce the law w/businesses and homeowners who don't clean up their fronts.This city is smaller than 1 neighborhood in Brooklyn.(18 sq. miles?)

3.)Internet access Wi-Fi

4.) Zoning change NOW!!

5.) Inclusional zoning?

6.) Payments in-lieu-of services for all non-profits that are fighting for the freed-up 195 land because they don't pay taxes.Yale pays. Harvard pays.

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2.) Plans for Arcade revitalization

What a beautiful building the Arcade was when it was first built. But it has been exposed becaused of the demolition next to it. I hope someone will update and miniturize all the airducts, wiring, air conditioners, etc that are now out in the open. They have a great opportunity to recreate the beauty it once was.

Mark

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My wishes:

...

6. A memorial to Nathanael Greene (R.I.'s greatest and most famous military leader). It's high time!

Hmmmm someone suggested putting walking gardens in station park, maybe a memorial to Greene as the centerpiece of the gradens? Now that would be awesome. What a welcoming site for someone coming out of the train station to see our skyline and in front of them lush foliage and blooming flowers.

Maybe some small retail like coffee shops eateries built on the property to attract people, I'ld have to think where but something there to compliment the gardens.

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6. A memorial to Nathanael Greene (R.I.'s greatest and most famous military leader). It's high time!

Perhaps there needs to be more of a memorial, but State Rep. Rice has proposed naming the new Sakonnet River Bridge for Ann Hutchinson, how about the new Providence River Bridge be named for Nathanael Green?

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Perhaps there needs to be more of a memorial, but State Rep. Rice has proposed naming the new Sakonnet River Bridge for Ann Hutchinson, how about the new Providence River Bridge be named for Nathanael Green?

There already is Nathanael Greene MS on Chalkstone Ave. All the public MS's in Providence are named after R.I. military heroes. What about the " Buddy C Bridge?" :rofl:

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