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Watershed Council Office is at 27 Sims Avenue Providence, RI 02909 (next to The Steel Yard) |
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Tel:
401.861.9046
Fax: 401.861.9038 |
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If you have questions about the activities of the Council please contact our Executive Director, Alicia Lehrer |
 Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project |
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| Overview |
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| History & Goals |
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The Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project was started by The Providence Plan in 1994. At the time, there were only 2.1 acres of park space per 1,000 residents, and of the three parks along the river, one was undeveloped (Dyerville Park) and one was closed (Merino Park). The Greenway Project was initiated based on the underlying theory that green spaces and active recreation opportunities are essential elements of any healthy community. Parks with active recreation programs contribute to the stabilization of neighborhoods and have been shown to prevent/reduce crime. The project’s main goals are to increase the recreational and green space available to local residents, promote economic development and reduce crime, promote river conservation and environmental action, and increase awareness of local history and river ecology. | |||||||||||
| Accomplishments & Future Plans |
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The Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project is recognized as a model community revitalization effort that will continue Providence’s rediscovery of its rivers and natural resources, channeling development into some of the more disadvantaged areas of the city. • Three parks (Donigian, Merino, and Dyerville (now Buttonhole Golf Course)) along the Greenway have been renovated and reopened, and the new Riverside Mills Park is in the process of being built. • The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has completed the design of phase II of the bicycle path, which will begin at Riverside Mills Park in Olneyville and end at Lymans Avenue in Johnston. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2005. • The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected the Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project and the State of Rhode Island as a Brownfields Showcase Community. • The Woonasquatucket River was designated in 1998 as an American Heritage River, one of only 14 in the country. The Greenway Project was instrumental in organizing a coalition of watershed communities to work for this designation. This coalition is what became the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council. • The Woonasquatucket River Watershed has been designated a pilot watershed project by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. The Greenway will include 5.7 miles of paths and green spaces stretching from the Johnston-Providence line to Waterplace Park in downtown Providence. The Greenway will promote economic reinvestment in the neighborhoods and on the Brownfields while developing recreational and environmental education opportunities along the river. Community plans include continued programming in Donigian and Merino Parks, as well as at Button Hole Golf Course. These three anchor parks provide a destination for residents who enjoy the Greenway. |
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The Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project is a catalyst for renewal along the Woonasquatucket River in Providence. The green linear park will revitalize a major hidden natural resource on the West Side of the City and become a destination for neighborhood residents and people throughout Providence and Rhode Island. A bicycle/pedestrian path will link recreational areas, green spaces, destination sites, and the neighborhoods of Manton, Hartford, and Valley, as well as Olneyville and Smith Hill (Enterprise Community neighborhoods) to Waterplace Park in downtown Providence.
| Brownfields |
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There are a variety of "brownfields" within the Greenway Project area. The US EPA definition of 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." For more information on brownfields and on the Brownfield Showcase Community designation click here. |
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| 67 Melissa Street - Lincoln Lace & Braid |
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One of the brownfields in the Greenway Project Area is the Lincoln Lace & Braid mill site, in the Hartford neighborhood of Providence, just up river from Merino Park. The mill buildings burned down in 1994 and the flat area where the buildings were located is being cleaned up by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). West of the mill site is a parcel of land that was used as a landfill from approximately 1960 to 1975. The official name for this part of the site is "67 Melissa Street." The Trust for Public Land purchased 67 Melissa Street in 1998 to be developed as part of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway. More details, including regular project updates, are available at the Trust for Public Lands web site. |
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| Master Plan |
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A copy of the Greenway Master Plan is available here (PDF Format - about PDF format). This is a 53 page document (1.4 MB) so it will take a few minutes to download over a dial-up connection. |
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| Virtual Tour |
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Click here to go to a virtual tour of the proposed Woonasquatucket River Greenway in Providence. |
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| Partners & Funders |
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The Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project collaborates with a broad range of partners in local and state government agencies, the private sector, the academic community, and the nonprofit sector. The Greenway Project is funded by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund, Merck Family Fund, Prince Charitable Trust, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Transportation, The Rhode Island Foundation, Citizens Bank of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and the National Park Service. |
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| Get Involved |
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| Resources |
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