Gorbea Says Her Office Is Unsuitable, But Signed Long-term Lease With Top Democrat
GoLocalProv News Team
Gorbea Says Her Office Is Unsuitable, But Signed Long-term Lease With Top Democrat
While calling for new space, Gorbea simultaneously pushed for the state to continue to lease space in downtown Providence from developer Joe Paolino’s company for up to an additional four years.
Gorbea criticized the Paolino space in a press release on Tuesday in announcing the findings of the study, ”The State Archives has occupied a leased space at 337 Westminster Street in Providence since 1990. The building is an office space located in a geographic flood plain, and was meant to be a temporary location. The Archives is home to more than 10 million items in a variety of formats dating back to 1638.”
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The state's lease was renewed with Paolino in March of 2016 for up to four years — the rent payments generate more than $640,000 over the course of the agreement for Paolino’s company.
GoLocal asked Gorbea’s office why if the space was inferior, did Gorbea’s office not oppose the lease renewal with Paolino. Her spokesman Nick Domings said Gorbea’s focus was on finding a permanent location.
Over nearly 30 years Paolino has been paid millions by the state in rent for the Westminster Street space — used by the Secretary of State's archives, for “temporary” space which is deemed to be putting Rhode Island’s history “at risk.”
Paolino is the Democratic party's national committeeman.
Gorbea’s office denies any political ties. “Mr. Paolino’s ownership of the building predates the Secretary’s time in office. It had no bearing on the renegotiation. There were no comparable options that included archival climate controls. (The Archives cannot be moved into a regular office space lease.) The decision was made solely on what is best for the historic treasures and the State of Rhode Island. Renegotiation of the existing lease was the most prudent course of action,” said Domings.
“I commissioned this report to learn more about the condition of the historical documents we have at the State Archives. Unfortunately, it found that many of our most priceless treasures are at risk. We must preserve these public documents for future generations. That is why I am proposing a true solution to this problem - a permanent State Archive and Rhode Island History Center that will also serve as the springboard for our historic tourism economy,” said Gorbea in a statement to GoLocal on Tuesday.
“We have some of the most important documents in American history in our collection,” said Gorbea on Tuesday. “It’s vitally important that we fully understand the risks and potential costs of storing these treasures in an environment that was clearly not designed to house them.”
But while Gorbea claims Rhode Island needs to move the state’s most important her efforts have fallen flat. She is now in her fifth year in the office and prior was a top staffer to former Secretary of State Matt Brown in the early 2000s.
Domings said that Gorbea has been fundraising to support the effort for a new space. He cited that Gorbea had secured a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, “In February 2016 Secretary Gorbea secured funding for the Rhode Island Foundation to conduct a two-part needs assessment for a new archival facility.”
GoLocal repeated requested details on the grant — but was never provided any followup.
In addition, GoLocal requested details on any other grants or fundraising.
Gorbea has previously requested $5 million in funding in from the State for architectural and engineering work for a new building across from the State House. That request was rejected.
