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TheSausageFattener t1_j46nhco wrote

Reply to comment by jimmygreen717 in Share your opinion about Fane Tower by quinntronix

Providence is behind the ball because it hasnt developed a strong economic niche outside of being a satellite within the Boston Urban Area. A lot of its growth is the result of spillovers from Bostons strong growth and housing boom.

The tower doesnt change that dynamic to be more sustainable for RI, it just doubles down. When I-195 was moved to make way for that parcel the rationale was that the land would be used to attract new business opportunities and create an incubator for a stronger biotech niche. The 20 years of development failure since then have at best yielded 5 over 1s and a Trader Joes, or expanded/new office space for existing economic fixtures (Brown). Its better than nothing, but not good considering thats the scale of development that some suburbs achieve in their downtowns. Fane reads like a wild moonshot to try and get something to be proud of.

Rhode Islands state officials just suck at development, or perhaps they think its easy. 195 reads to me like somebody trying to emulate the aesthetics of a successful economic development strategy without understanding how to get there. Youre right that RI consistently, regularly falls behind at every turn. Quonset, Tiverton, and Newport are all cases where a casino venture could have been well executed, but that ship sailed. Hell, this parcel would have been great for a casino if Encore hadn’t been built.

In my opinion a good place to start smashing zoning and developing is Warwick and Pawtucket. Jefferson Boulevard is full of wasted potential and its a shame that its train station is basically going to waste.

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barsoapguy t1_j47cbk9 wrote

Casinos are awful they produce nothing of value to society, we are better off without them.

Just places where poor people who are desperate and bad at math can lose their money.

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TheSausageFattener t1_j47wr3h wrote

From an ethical standpoint I agree. I don't think a casino alone necessarily gives a state a real competitive edge. I've been to some miserable towns whose sole enterprise is an enormous towering casino and its sad. Niagara NY isn't exactly fun.

From an economic standpoint, Rhode Island's economy is so heavily dependent on tourism and the service industry that it could use anything that helps to draw more foot traffic downtown, including in the off season. It may help to complement existing strengths Providence has with its music, arts, and food scene. Accessibility is another major factor. RI's three main casinos are either closed (Newport Grand), undersized (Tiverton), or they're Twin River which is like a "local compromise" you head to instead of the larger regional attractions of Foxwoods, Mohegan, and Encore Boston Harbor. Quonset was a bit of a shame because its well poised to leverage ferry service to the Vineyard, Newport, and Providence and there was an abundance of available open parcels. They're now parking lots, solar farms, or storage areas with scattered manufacturing facilities - and GDEB and Toray provide good jobs - but again it could have been a bit more strategically used.

Trust me, I'd rather have a company like Samsonite set up offices. Hell, I'd even compromise with Hasbro moving downtown. But, they aren't. The Superman building can't even get going with a tenant thanks to its clown of an owner.

Edit: BTW most of my blame here is laid squarely at the state for not lighting a fire under the asses of communities outside of Providence, and also Providence, to upzone or engage in some more conscientious regional planning. It's a small state. It should not be this cumbersome.

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