Looking ahead to what another year in Warwick will bring - by Scott Avedisian

Scott Avedisian,
Mayor of Warwick

Now that we are solidly footed in 2017, it seems only fitting to look ahead to what another year in Warwick will bring to those who live and work here. Starting the year on a high note came during the inauguration on January 3rd.  The Skywalk at T.F. Green Airport served as the backdrop as I, along with City Council and School Committee members, were sworn into office. The Skywalk in the Interlink Station is the literal bridge between Warwick and those who travel in and through our airport. The center of our city and our state, I could not think of a better place to begin my 10th term in office. At the conclusion of the ceremony, many attendees commented that they had not been in the Skywalk since it opened and were thoroughly impressed by the design, accessibility and ease that it provides to travelers.

The project, which took four years and more than 580,000 man-hours to complete has become an iconic landmark in the both Warwick and the state. It connects the airport to the Interlink Station, City Centre Warwick and the MBTA Commuter Train Station. With the addition of both domestic and international flights recently added to Green’s flight roster, the airport has quickly become a go-to option for both business and leisure travelers. Construction on Runway 5 continues. Once complete, T.F. Green will be able to accommodate longer haul flights, enhance efficiency of the New England Regional Airport System and most importantly reduce passenger leakage to other regional airports.

Also during the inauguration, I was able to make a much-anticipated announcement about some new hotel and development projects that will be coming to city. After many years of hard work, D’Ambra Construction has officially broken ground on a new Hyatt Place hotel. The 120-room hotel on Jefferson Boulevard is adjacent to a parking garage connected to the airport. The new hotel will be connected to the parking facility making it the first one connected to the entire airport complex. The project, which is estimated to be around $23.8 million, will bring 145 construction jobs and 30 permanent jobs to Warwick upon its completion. The timing of the new hotel could not be better as our 16 hotels reached 96% occupancy rate on Friday and Saturday nights during the summer months last year. This will be Warwick’s 17^th hotel.

In addition, another local developer is adding more lodging options and economic growth to the city. Joe Piscopio recently announced plans to expand the Hilton Garden Inn, also located in City Centre Warwick. With plans for a new hotel complex and residential development, their projects will also have a direct job-growth benefit in the local community. Finally, Carpionato Group will be adding 100 rooms to the Crowne Plaza, as well as a medical facility that will be adjacent to the existing hotel.  These additions to the city’s travel, tourism and economic development industries will continue to put Warwick on the map as a city that is not only a great place to live and work, but also an accessible and desirable place to visit. Pedestrian improvements are also coming to the area. The $3.8 million project on Coronado Rd. will bring both safety and accessibility enhancements to the road linking T.F. Green and the Interlink Station. Improvements included are the installation of pedestrian signal equipment, reconstruction of wheelchair ramps and improvement to the visibility of crosswalks. Guardrail and drainage improvements along with new landscaping will complete the project.

In addition to new and proposed developments, new features coming to Rocky Point, including a bike path and fishing pier, the opening of numerous small businesses, new commercial development and an uptick in residential housing projects, we are seeing a significant investment of private funds back into our community thus enhancing the transformation of the city itself. I look forward to seeing the many anticipated developments that 2017 will surely bring to enhance Warwick’s local and national appeal.

Scott Avedisian is the mayor of Warwick.