Pawtucket Renaissance

[bloodyrocker]

does anyone know if Pawtucket has an Absentee Landlord Property Tax Surcharge?

[Herbs]

does anyone know if Pawtucket has an Absentee Landlord Property Tax Surcharge?

[bloodyrocker]

Antiques mall in Pawtucket offers 130 dealers in one place

I went and checked this place out last week and was psyched to find a well run, quality antiques mall located in my neighborhood (not so Pleasant View). I brought some family there day after thanksgiving and we ended up getting a few things for the house.. the prices are very reasonable and they have a ton of stuff.

I'm excited to see something new here and really hope it does well, I think that being visible from the highway is key.

[Herbs]

Antiques mall in Pawtucket offers 130 dealers in one place

I went and checked this place out last week and was psyched to find a well run, quality antiques mall located in my neighborhood (not so Pleasant View). I brought some family there day after thanksgiving and we ended up getting a few things for the house.. the prices are very reasonable and they have a ton of stuff.

I'm excited to see something new here and really hope it does well, I think that being visible from the highway is key.

[Cotuit]

Glad your excited...don't forget to add on the five antique stores in the fomer Elks Building. The City is looking for ways to creating ways to draw in more stores to create an antique district. Herb Weiss

[bloodyrocker]

PADS General Meeting

Thursday, February 7

Refreshments @ 6:30 PM / Meeting @ 7:00 PM

at Machine with Magnets 400 Main Street, Pawtucket

It has been a while since we all met! As we begin 2008, Downtown Pawtucket faces a new challenge: the replacement of the I-95 Pawtucket River Bridge, and associated traffic detours, a long-term issue that will impact downtown for several years. Come and hear about the bridge public meeting and any new developments, and hear updates on the Trash Transfer Station and Pawtucket/Central Falls Railroad Station. The program will also include presentations on the Pawtucket Homeless Working Group.

[frymasterspeck]

Blackstone Valley Bike Path now accessible from directly across the Broad St bridge CF/Cumberland. Take a left onto Meeting St as soon as you cross into Cumberland. Follow the signs (r/l/r/l) and then enter the new Valley Falls section complete with wood plank bog walk. It is outstanding. Also, the northern end is extended past the Rt 99 bridge.

More resources at The Bucket Blog.

[brick]

Blackstone Valley Bike Path now accessible from directly across the Broad St bridge CF/Cumberland. Take a left onto Meeting St as soon as you cross into Cumberland. Follow the signs (r/l/r/l) and then enter the new Valley Falls section complete with wood plank bog walk. It is outstanding. Also, the northern end is extended past the Rt 99 bridge.

More resources at The Bucket Blog.

[eltron]

I love this bike path and rode it end to end last night.

I have one question.

the only annoying thing about this path is the area between the waterfall at Valley Falls and the bridge at Oak St. (I think it's Oak, but about 1.5 miles from the waterfall). For the entire length of the path, you ride along the edge of an old canal which is now basically stillwater, which means midges and gnats and well just some general grossness that comes along with man-made unmaintained stillwater. I'm sure it is fed by something but it doesn't seem to run much as it is covered with algae. I'm sure I could look it up, but perhaps the folks on UP can help me out faster:

1) Were these actual working canals at one point, and what were they used for? Was it like a diverted path for barges on the river where they didn't have to deal with any current, etc.?

2) Why are they still there? Do they have actually living wildlife in them? They seem mostly dead except the bugs and algae - I've never seen any fish or even turtles or frogs.

[Cotuit]

The Blackstone Canal connected Worcester to Pawtucket and was basically the backbone of the Industrial Revolution. The canal brought cargo vessels around the various falls and such on the river. Up at the Worcester end, there is a proposal to dig up a lost portion of the canal and create an art & entertainment district around it. The railroads ended the need for the canal and much of it fell into disrepair, I don't know if any portions are still navigable.

Wikipedia

The Blackstone Canal was a waterway linking Worcester, Massachusetts to Providence, Rhode Island (and Narragansett Bay) through the Blackstone Valley via a series of locks and canals.

The Blackstone Canal Company was organized in 1823 through an act of the Massachusetts legislature, with a Rhode Island company soon following. Construction began in 1825 and cost $750,000 (twice its initial estimate). The canal opened on October 7, 1828 when the packet boat Lady Carrington arrived in Worcester, the first vessel to make the trip. Although the canal was initially successful, within just a few years its business fell sharply when a competing railroad (built 1832) provided quicker and often cheaper transport. In 1847 the Providence and Worcester Railroad began operation, and the canal closed in 1848.

The canal was 20 feet or more in width, and lined with white stone where necessary. It ascended 451 feet, passing through an original 49 locks plus a further 13 locks added after initial construction. The "slack-water" canal intersected the Blackstone River 16 times over its 45-mile course, and ran in the river itself for 10% of its length. These portions proved troublesome since in summer water was sometimes too low for navigation.

Since the canal's closure, parts of its watercourse were filled and other segments are now heavily overgrown with brush and trees. Its remains, however, are still visible in many locations.

The canal is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

[Cotuit]

Herb Weiss: Arts districts boost R.I. economy [The Providence Journal]

[BigUglyCat]

Herb Weiss: Arts districts boost R.I. economy [The Providence Journal]

[frymasterspeck]

Having worked in Whitinsville and played in a band in Worcester, I've been up and down just about the whole WOR-PVD length on 126, 123, 122, 146, backroads, etc. The canal Brick is on about goes from Valley Falls to the next falls at Albion. (Instead of going right over the bridge, go left and then right, following the path over another little bridge and up to the falls. The canal begins just above the falls.)

To my knowledge, that is the only maintained section of the canal remaining. Other portions of the canal in MA are long-since turned into rivers. There are stretches where portions of the canal still exist but are blocked downstream. At high, high water, these sections flood and then become stagnant when the river recedes. This, I think, accounts for the surprising amount of bugs in the area.

Yes, I've eaten my fair share. FWIW, last Thursday I rode in Westport, MA and ate hella bugs. On the bright side, you get plenty of protein to keep your strength up on those long rides.

[FjmArch]

Herb Weiss: Arts districts boost R.I. economy [The Providence Journal]

[Herbs]

It's a shame that the out of town developers get all of the press in this article. No mention of the creative community that has been established at "The Grant". Typical of the ProJo let's not see the forest thru the trees, only the deep pockets get the press.

[frymasterspeck]

Big Art Hoo Ha 5/3

$5k in total prize money to be awarded. $4k for 1st prize.

Story on The Bucket Blog also sheds light on this event's 'angel,' Narragansett Bay Insurance Company.

[Frankie811]

Some new life for old mills in Downtown Pawtucket. Two forgotten mill buildings situated along the Blackstone River near Tolman High School are poised to become the latest additions to the city

[bloodyrocker]

The Op Ed was written to give a picture of economic development throughout the City including the arts district. While the Grant was not specifically mentioned in this instance we have in lots of other ways promoted this successful Main Street development to the media. The Planning Department has worked closely with the owners and some of their tenants to get them through the Building Permit Process. We only had a limited number of words to try to tell our tale. Herb Weiss, Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer, City of Pawtucket.

[frymasterspeck]

But, Rocker, those nice theater people where collared shirts and go to barbers for haircuts. And they don't have those scary piercings and tattoos. What kind of a place would Pawtucket look like if they promoted all these artsy-fartsy young entrepreneurs in the Grant?

Seriously, nothing in the last 20 years has had the positive impact as the Grant. For the love of Maude, Kafe Lila made it through the first year. Madhouse Cafe?

Attention, The City -- Give credit where it is due. Do you want to make us your adversaries?

[bloodyrocker]

maybe its just my perception but I've always thought that real change happens organically, the way that the Grant and MWM have injected Pawtucket with a healthy dose of cool people either coming in for shows, recording, work (at the grant), shopping or for food.. these peeps come in to the area and see the huge potential for community in a wide open historic setting and a few of them (myself included) even buy property or move over here hoping to participate in the change.

[Recchia]

I'll be moving back to the Bucket in the next few years. It's easier biking distance to my work and I can get a much better deal on housing than in Providence. Darlington was the perfect fit for me, and now they have a gym and Save a Lot on Armistice that I could walk to.

[bloodyrocker]

Providence Daily Dose discussing the "Pawtucket Rising" documentary.. Herb Weiss adds his comments too.

Is this a Zero Sum Game?

[Jenks]

I loved the Madhouse Cafe, but I wonder if it was just a tiny bit ahead of its time. I'd love to see someone else give that space a shot. And I'm not talking about another Dunkin' Donuts or CVS.