Background - The Showcase Community Designation
The state of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations received the Brownfields
Showcase Community designation for the Woonasquatucket River Greenway
Project in 1998. Since 1998 the State of Rhode Island and the City of Providence
have designated two sites as Brownfields along
the Woonasquatucket River Greenway. They plan to return the Riverside
Mills and Lincoln Lace and Braid sites to beneficial use, revitalize
distressed areas along the river, and restore pride and well-being to disadvantaged
neighborhoods. Both brownfields sites were acquired by the City of Providence.
Both sites lie in the Woonasquatucket River's floodplain and both have
mostly intact but degraded wetlands. The Woonasquatucket
River Greenway bike path will pass over both sites.
Status of the Sites
The future use of the sites was determined through a
community planning process as part of the master plan for the Woonasquatucket
River Greenway. Future uses will include a bicycle path, recreational opportunities
and greenspace. The bike path is under design by the RI Department of Transportation,
and the future park space is being developed by the City of Providence
and the Urban Design Group. Since these sites will be reused for outdoor
recreation the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island have decided
to clean the sites to the highest standard (residential). Below is an update
on the clean up progress.
As of spring of 2001 partial remediation was completed
at Lincoln Lace and Braid, where underground storage tanks and above ground
debris had been removed. A small landfill was discovered on part of the
site. Clean-up or capping of the landfill and the Lincoln Lace and Braid
site has not yet been completed.
Removal of oil stored in underground storage tanks
at Riverside Mills took place in the summer of 2000. Further remediation
and construction on the bikepath at this site is schedule to begin in the
summer of 2001. Design plans for the new park at the Riveside Mills site
have been developed and are now being finalized. To see the plans contact
Bob McMahon at the Providence Parks Department - 785-9450.
For more information about Brownfields in general
or the Brownfields in Providence please see the list
of contacts below.
Project Funding and Needs
Senator Jack Reed helped secure a $1 million award
from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for clean up at the
Riverside Mills site. The award was announced by Senator Reed and Mayor
Cianci in the spring of 2000. $450,000 was granted by the Greenways
Council of Rhode Island and $100,000 was granted by the RI
Trails Advisory Committee for improvements at the Riverside Mills site.
The City has also received $25,000 to do wetlands planning at both Brownfields
sites. It is estimated that an additional $2,000,000 is needed to complete
remediation at Riverside Mills and $1,000,000 for Lincoln Lace and Braid.
What is a Brownfield?
A Brownfield is an abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial
and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated
by real or perceived environmental contamination. (US EPA)
What is a Brownfield Showcase Community?
The Brownfields Showcase Community Program was started by the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in 1998.
"Brownfields Showcase Communities have three main goals: to promote environmental
protection, economic redevelopment and community revitalization through
the assessment, cleanup and sustainable reuse of brownfields; to link Federal,
State, local and non-governmental action supporting community efforts to
restore and reuse brownfields; and to develop national models demonstrating
the positive results of public and private collaboration addressing brownfields
challenges. A partnership of more than 15 Federal agencies with interests
in brownfields redevelopment has designated 16 Brownfields Showcase Communities."
EPA's
Brownfields Showcase Communities Website
Where are the major Brownfields
sites in Providence?
Riverside Mills
is located on Aleppo Street, near the Atlantic Mills complex in the neighborhood
of Olneyville. Lincoln Lace and Braid is
located in the Hartford neighborhood, near Route 6 and across the river
from Merino Park.
For now Riverside Mills and Lincoln
Lace and Braid are not safe places to walk or play!!! However,
the goal of the Brownfields Showcase Community program is to make them
safe and attractive places that people will care for once more.
Who can I contact for more
information?
Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project
27 Sims Street, Providence, RI 02909
(401) 861-9046
City of Providence, Department of Planning and
Development
400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903
(401) 351-4300
Rhode Island Dept. of Environmental Management
(RI DEM)
Office of Waste Management
235 Promenade St., Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2797
Rhode Island Department of Health
Office of Environmental Health Risk Assesment
Three Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-4948
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
US EPA-NE, One Congress St., Boston, MA 02114-2023
1-800-EPA-REG1 (1-800-372-7341)
More information about Brownfields
More information about other Brownfields
Showcase Communities