Planning & Development
Fung On Board With Transit Oriented Development
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung was recently selected to attend the Northeast Session of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design. The two and a half day seminar was an opportunity for mayors to present urban development challenges to teams of city planning and design professionals. After each presentation, mayors and designers identified key issues, offered advice, and discussed potential solutions.
“It was extremely positive,” Fung reported. “It was a great opportunity for the city to get some free advice from nationally renowned architects and urban planners.”
Fung, with the help of city planning director Peter Lapolla, chose to present the Wellington Avenue transit oriented development (TOD) concept. The concept calls for a mixed-use development anchored by a commuter rail station in the vicinity of the Wellington Avenue-Elmwood Avenue industrial corridor. It’s an idea that has existed in one form or another since 2007. And passenger station has been a part of the Auburn landscape since the 1800s.
Fung said that another benefit of vetting the TOD idea to the Institute was the feedback from other mayors with similar projects. Like any big project, this one has plenty of hurdles. “The biggest might be to secure an MBTA commuter rail stop,” noted Fung. Jef Nickerson of Greater City: Providence outlined other reasons why adding stops to the MBTA commuter rail line could be problematic, and suggests that the state might have to look beyond the MBTA to meet its commuter rail needs.
With the right ingredients, a TOD can make a very positive impact on the city. A well designed, transit-oriented district can be an economic boon for a city. It can also reduce sprawl, protect existing neighborhoods, and improve the character of a city by encouraging more pedestrians and reducing traffic.
The selection of this project for the Institute makes it clear that the city can see its potential, and is serious about keeping the momentum going. As the TOD project moves ahead, I hope the process remains as transparent and as democratic as possible; open to all business interests.
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Monday November 23, 2009
Fixing Rolfe Square: Pimp Your Storefront Edition
Ruth’s Lingerie storefront during a sale last year Things are starting to look up for Rolfe Square. Soon they will be looking fabulous. The Artists’ Exchange has teamed up with students from Rhode Island School of Design to redesign six storefronts. Artists’ Exchange Director Elaine McKenna-Yeaw says “the idea is to... more
Saturday October 24, 2009
The Park Cinema Reopens for a Sequel
At 5 PM last night, the Park Cinema officially re-opened as the Rhode Island Center for Performing Arts. Rolfe Square took on a completely different feeling when the theater was illuminated and pods of people spilled out onto the neighboring streets. It was especially striking to see the Park sign... more
Monday October 19, 2009
Fung On Board With Transit Oriented Development
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung was recently selected to attend the Northeast Session of the Mayors’ Institute on City Design. The two and a half day seminar was an opportunity for mayors to present urban development challenges to teams of city planning and design professionals. After each presentation, mayors and designers... more
Tuesday September 29, 2009
Drive In?
The first sign of a pulse at the Park Cinema came in August with the opening of the Park Café and the 848 Club along the facade of the renovated structure. The Park Avenue landmark, built in 1924 by theater mogul Abraham A. Spitz, is emerging from a 5-year, and... more
Thursday August 13, 2009
Stop & Shop Plan Questionable
At a special planning review meeting last week, area residents voiced concerns about a proposed Stop & Shop on Warwick Avenue, including lighting, noise, traffic and trash.
Besides the fact that this is a shallow use for this potentially great location, a bigger issue with this proposal is its impact on the city's recurring flood problems.
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