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Something about this article irked me. Maybe it was the intra-city competition. Maybe it was the mention of free parking as a motivation to move. I guess you can't blame them (and it's certainly better than moving to the 'burbs), but...thoughts anyone?

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Something about this article irked me. Maybe it was the intra-city competition. Maybe it was the mention of free parking as a motivation to move. I guess you can't blame them (and it's certainly better than moving to the 'burbs), but...thoughts anyone?

My thought is more power to Pawt. They're doing an excellent job attracting businesses. Providence tends to be somewhat complacent. I've heard over and over about folks looking to set up in either PVD or Pwt. PVD officials don't return phone calls. Herb Weiss in Pawt. will personally drive people around. Providence officials should look at Pawt and learn some lessons.

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My thought is more power to Pawt. They're doing an excellent job attracting businesses. Providence tends to be somewhat complacent. I've heard over and over about folks looking to set up in either PVD or Pwt. PVD officials don't return phone calls. Herb Weiss in Pawt. will personally drive people around. Providence officials should look at Pawt and learn some lessons.

Hopefully biggest lesson learned is not to let crappy ass Walgreen's and CVS destroy your historical buildings. But really, the mayor's office is doing a great job. Hopefully the next round of City Council elections will get some new blood involved also.

I think Pawtucket's tax structure is significantly better than Providences for business, also. That can't hurt.

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Something about this article irked me. Maybe it was the intra-city competition. Maybe it was the mention of free parking as a motivation to move. I guess you can't blame them (and it's certainly better than moving to the 'burbs), but...thoughts anyone?

I'm still upset about Amica moving to Lincoln. But along these same lines, I'm wondering what GTECH employees are thinking concerning the fact that besides key employees, most will be forced to fend for themselves concerning parking and transportation, whereas they have free parking in West Greenwich. I have to imagine that they'll have more than a few disgruntled workers. Pawtucket has rolled out the red carpet.

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I have such high hopes for the downtown here. I've now visited the Madhouse Cafe twice by the way and wanted to let you all know the deal:

The place looks really great.. more upscale in furnishings and price than Crazy Burger in south county but also an expanded menu with a full bar. They have a huge deck in front that i can see being a big draw in the spring/summer months (and its within stumbling distance of my house!).

The first time my wife and I stopped in a week or so ago and the place was pretty empty. We had 2 really good burgers, mine was wrapped in a flour tortilla with avocado and cheese with homemade salsa. they serve great sweet potato fries there and I sampled the key lime pie (just as awesome as the south county key lime pie). thumbs up.

Second visit was yesterday afternoon and we took some friends with us. The place was pretty busy and we had a tasty meal. The waitstaff is accomodating they really try to bend over backward to make you happy. I heard that they are doing brunch as well so I'll have to check that out.

Go Pawtucket!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Seelbinder’s more than $20 million development plan includes a multi-level garage, four retail shops including a pharmacy and high rise housing.
That sounds good.

Also to make headway in the new year is reconstruction and improvements for the three-acre Taft Street landing, whose uninsured $120,000 dock was destroyed in the mid-October rainstorm.

Does anyone know exactly where Taft Street Landing was/is? Would it make sense as a Water Taxi dock for boats to/from Conley Wharf?

Then there’s "Chef Walter" Potenza, whose $75,000 bid to buy the former Old Colony Bank building at 347 Main St. for a 50-student cooking school and caf
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The next big thing is Pawtucket might be the former Paramount Greeting Cards bldg in the Conant Industrial Park area. Apparently there's discussion between Paramount, which is vacating and city officials, about selling it to a developer who will do loft spaces. Urban Smart Growth perhaps?

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=...2&scene=2434370

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Does anyone know exactly where Taft Street Landing was/is? Would it make sense as a Water Taxi dock for boats to/from Conley Wharf?

Here is the parcel:

Taft St. Landing

I live right up the street from this and would love to see some good development. Because Oak hill rises so quickly out of the Blackstone, you don't really see this urban decay from anywhere unless you go down there. This is where "my" Blackstone bikepath idea would run...moving south from here along the river gets you to Swan Point and Butler hospital.

As for the water taxi, Taft St. is right across the river from the School St. landing which is where RIPTA tried to run the commuter boat into downtown PVD a few years ago. Not sure whatever happened to that. anyway, the point is that I think the infrastructure for a water taxi, including a parking lot, already exists at the School St. site. the advantage of Taft is that it is a two way st. and that it empties right into downtown Pawtucket (it becomes roosevelt Avenue so it is basically the same street that City Hall and Slater Mill are on). This location is about 3/4 of a mile from Slater Mill.

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That sounds good.

Does anyone know exactly where Taft Street Landing was/is? Would it make sense as a Water Taxi dock for boats to/from Conley Wharf?

Awesome!

I'm not sure about where the Taft St. landing is , but the dock/landing on the Blackstone in Central Falls was was taken out for sure from that rainstorm - I took a walk from my in-laws to check it out myself last month.

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  • 1 month later...

The eagles are back on top of Pawt. City Hall.

Hey this is great... imagine: they planned on not being able to afford this component of the restoration BUT THEY SQUEEZED IT IN! WOW! And this is in R.I.?! Cool!

I lived in the bucket on Beech St. in Woodlawn right by 95. In my neighborhood, nobody worked there but we all lived there. It seemed this old mill town, like West Warwick and others around New England, would never recover from the loss of the manufacturing industry. I'm sure we've all been to the DMV on Main St at some point. After that operation moved to the Apex building, downtown Pawtucket was like a ghost town.

It's amazing more hasn't been done to attract business over the years... renters discovered long ago Pawtucket is the best deal in the state. Office space was always available and always cheap, with great highway access!

Downtown Pawtucket today is like Downcity in 1996. They have a long way to go... but there could be great things on the horizon.

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Downtown Pawtucket today is like Downcity in 1996. They have a long way to go... but there could be great things on the horizon.

I hope so... I really do. I've actually involved myself in some local civic groups (Pleasant View neighborhood) but most times I feel like the area is too far gone.. its hard to stay upbeat.

there was a fire on my street last week and they are going to take the house down i guess.. I wonder how I would go about lobbying for a community garden or some green space on the lot? does the city buy up properties for this?

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

Hey, I haven't posted in awhile, but I am looking for some help and hopefully you guys will be a good stepping stone for what I am looking for. I am working on a project for the Pawtucket Foundation and the City of Pawtucket. We are looking at Non-Profit companies in the downtown area, and assessing the city and its lack of downtown activity to see if there is any correlation between the non-profit sector securing most of the buildings. We are looking at many things also to see which companies are providing a valuable benefit and which are struggling in the area, we are specifically looking at the 990 IRS forms to do most of that. Besides the 990 forms and the overall economic state of many of these companies we are looking at other aspects of the city. Specifically we are talking to the LISC, CDC and Struever Brothers to get a better understand of the historical tax credits that the city was just awarded as well looking at stakeholders in the current companies occupying the city. I was specifically looking for any other good leads and also a connection to the arts in the city. I know someone does a project with Art In Ruins and a few of the others seem to know a lot more about the art. I know it has been essentially a progressive city to get its feet on the ground and running and being open to possibilities. So I was looking to get in touch with the art community, and really help put a grasp on a lot of what has happened to the city and how to rejuvenate it or people who have strong opinions about the city outside of the fiscal aspects. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if this is a little unclear I have some other memo's and stuff if anyone else is interested in looking at the information. Again Thanks.

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