Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - May 12, 2023

HOT

Builders Building

The City of Providence desperately needs more quality living spaces. There are estimates that Rhode Island needs an additional 5,000 living units to meet demand and stabilize prices. Apartment prices have skyrocketed in Providence in recent years.

With interest rates climbing, many of the biggest proposed apartment projects are shutting down. The 400-unit Fane Tower was scrapped, and the Superman building’s revitalization into apartments continues to be delayed.

One development team quietly continues to press forward, developing new living, retail, and restaurant spaces on Federal Hill and in the West End.

The newest project on Atwells Avenue on Federal Hill is now under development, and business partners Anthony Rosciti and Mike Lemoi continue to move forward with high-quality projects intermixed into the neighborhoods.

“The current project on Atwells will have a commercial space for a new restaurant along with 22 apartments. The project cost is $7.8 million for the construction,” said Rosciti.

We have five buildings with a total of 105 units, and an additional 138 units on the West End,” said Rosciti. One of the top projects was the development of an apartment complex at 1290 Westminster Street.

The two said they are proud of the work they have done in elevating the neighborhoods. The projects have provided hundreds of new apartments — high-quality and attractive places to live.

“We have added 243 units of high-end apartments with four commercial spaces. We have revitalized the area by redeveloping vacant buildings, empty land, and buildings that were falling apart.  One parcel which was vacant for years now has a great restaurant Pianta,” said Rosciti.

HOT

The Most Delicious Block

This might just be the most delicious block now in Providence. 

Just days after announcing it will be leaving its Ives Street location — PVDonuts announced its new spot will be on Wickenden Street, next to Fellini’s Pizza. 

“We are still open on Ives Street and it's business as usual until 6/25!” announced PVDonuts on Tuesday — previewing their next move. 

They continued:

“We’re excited to announce that we’ll be moving to 158 Wickenden St! We’ll be joining a number of other amazing businesses along the street, and are fortunate to have found a wonderful landlord who shares our vision for the space and the future of PVDONUTS!

Work has already begun, and we are prioritizing the completion of our kitchen above all else to avoid interruption to prior commitments (weddings/special events). We’re looking to have our retail space open in early July and can’t wait to welcome you into our new home! #PVDONUTS"

PHOTO: PVDonuts

HOT

Two RI Students Named 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars

Governor Dan McKee, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green, and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) announced on Wednesday that they extend their congratulations to the two Rhode Island high school seniors named as U.S. Presidential Scholars. 

U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona on Wednesday unveiled the 59th class, made up of 161 high school seniors recognized for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields. 

The Rhode Island scholars are: 

Cayetano Sanchez IV, East Greenwich High School 

Julia I. Martins,  The Greene School 

HOT

The Artist Couple Behind Public Shop and Gallery

Michael Rose, GoLocal's art columnist, has a wonderful profile on a couple who are helping to build the Rhode Island creative community with their work and gallery.

Few have brought as much energy, enthusiasm, and impact to the local art community as Casandra Inez and Spocka, co-owners of Public Shop and Gallery, a hard-to-label creative space that goes beyond traditional definitions of an art venue.

Located at 27 Sims Avenue in the complex of buildings that comprises The Steel Yard, Public is a working studio that is currently hosting an art show highlighting a great pool of talent. It is the encapsulation of the great work that founders Cas and Spocka have been engaged in since they began their business in 2019.

The current show at their space on Sims Avenue, titled “Come in, we’re open!”, has a plethora of objects, from ceramics and intricately cut works of paper, to photography, paintings, and drawings. The show is wonderfully eclectic and shows off a small sample of some of the types of artists that Cas and Spocka have promoted through their work organizing dozens of pop-ups and shows over a number of years.

READ MORE

HOT

University of Rhode Island Track Team

This team at URI is a bright spot and top performing. Kudos to the Rams.  ·

- Third straight A-10 outdoor track & field crown
- The second year in a row with a sweep of the indoor + outdoor championships
- Sixth consecutive A-10 titles between indoor + outdoor
- Head Coach Trent Baltzell was named Coach of the Year for the second straight outdoor championship

PHOTO: Braden Collum, Unsplash

HOT

This Mom Wants to Bring Taylor Swift’s RI Ties to a Concert Across the U.S. — On a Tee Shirt

Rhode Island native Elisa Hebert has been living in Colorado for over a decade — but home has always been close to her heart.

Hebert, her wife, and their two daughters will all be attending the upcoming Taylor Swift concert in Denver in July, and according to Hebert, the rest of her family is “really into glittery things.”

“I’m not a glittery human,” laughed Hebert, who graduated from Lincoln School in Providence. “My wife said, ‘Well, why don’t you just wear a Taylor Swift tee-shirt?”

So Hebert said she “spent about 5,000 hours” looking for the perfect shirt, to no avail. 

Then it hit her.

Repping Rhode Island 

“I said, how do I not wear my own design representing Rhode Island?” said Hebert, of her “a-ha” moment.

Hebert, of course, was referring to Swift’s Ocean State ties, which include her mansion in Watch Hill, and her songs about the location that is steeped in history. 

“I said I’ll use the anchor motif. The first lyric I wanted to use was “She had a marvelous time ruining everything.”

Hebert was referring Swift’s song, “The Last Great American Dynasty” — and American socialite Rebekah Harkness, the former owner of Swift’s mansion. 

“Then one of my daughters came home from school and wanted to make one,” said Hebert, of the “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” design, based on the title of another Swift song.

For now, Hebert has several tee-shirt concepts that she has up on the site “Tee Public” that she is deciding between to wear to the concert. 

One thing she knows for certain though is that she’ll be going to see Swift on a party bus with her family and neighbors to Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on July 14.

And she’ll be wearing her Rhode Island pride on her tee. 

NOT

10 Realtors for Each Property for Sale

The number of homes, condos, and multi-family properties now for sale in Rhode Island is dwarfed by the number of licensed realtors in the state.

The are almost exactly ten times the numbers of active brokers and salespersons than there are available properties.

According to Rhode Island’s Division of Business Regulation, there are 9,972 active brokers/salespersons registered.

NOT

Brett Johnson's Big Claims

Brett Johnson is the developer that is proposing the construction of the Pawtucket soccer stadium. Johnson talks a lot. He talks on podcasts and in videos he posts to social media. He talks about the cadre of soccer teams he owns and his financial successes.

He has asked the state and the City of Pawtucket for tens of millions of dollars in subsidies. And, his proposed minor league team will be located in an opportunity zone — a tax haven for investors.

But, some of the things he says and posts cannot be backed up by him or his public relations team.

There is a near-endless number of deals and claims by Johnson. There are revolving business partners and new initiatives. In the past two months, GoLocal has spent upwards of 100 hours trying to track down the facts behind the claims and the realities.

READ THE FULL STORY

NOT

Gotta Lead From the Front

On Wednesday, Governor Dan McKee announced the filing of regulations that will prohibit the sale of gasoline-powered automobiles in Rhode Island in 2035 — less than 12 years away.

But, McKee personally is not an early adopter. Neither McKee’s personal vehicles nor his state vehicles are electric.

Some governors are far ahead in using electric vehicles for their personal transportation.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, drives exclusively in all-electric vehicles and that began in 2022.

"I hope this sends the message that we walk the talk," Gov. Scott said in August of 2022 as he joined the Vermont State Police Executive Protection Unit in picking up a new Ford F-150 Lightning from Twin State Ford in St. Johnsbury.

Maybe the strongest gubernatorial evangelist for the electric vehicle movement is conservative Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.

“I’m fulfilling my promise of creating good-paying jobs for our state,” Kemp told one news agency. “I’ll tell you, there are a lot of conservatives that are driving electric vehicles. I’d also tell them: you need to go out and drive one because it’ll snap your head back.”

He points to the F-150 Lightning, Ford’s electric pickup, predicting: “You’re gonna have a lot of Republicans driving that truck.”

Mckee's press secretary Olivia DaRocha said, “As outlined in the EO the Governor signed earlier this week, the state is moving forward with transitioning its vehicle fleet to electric, including the Governor’s vehicle. Just like today’s announcement, this shift will be done responsibly and over time as we continue to build out EV infrastructure in Rhode Island and as the industry continues to build out their supply to meet the need.”

Rhode Island joins Washington, Virginia, Vermont, Oregon, New York, and Massachusetts in adopting the "ACCII" (Advanced Clean Cars) California standards. Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey are currently moving forward with adoption. Rhode Island also joins 17 other jurisdictions that are working to foster a self-sustaining market for zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, many of which will do so by adopting ACT (Advanced Clean Trucks) California standards.