Warwick Station Development District and its Master Plan to be featured at Grow Smart May 11th

Mayor Scott Avedisian and planning director William DePasquale are among the panelists who will discuss the Warwick Station Development District and its Master Plan, which will guide development of some 1.5 million s/f surrounding T.F. Green Airport and the InterLink intermodal train station, at the Grow Smart Power of Place summit for a stronger economy. The vision for the district calls for transforming the area between T.F. Green Airport and the newly constructed InterLink into a mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented growth center. Leveraging the existing public investment in the InterLink, the plan aims to develop a sustainable, attractive, live/work environment, generate new economic activity, and approximately 3,000 new jobs and a fourfold increase in the tax base. Panelists will discuss how a partnership was formed among the city, the state Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), the state Department of Transportation (RIDOT), Federal Highway, and the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce to advance the plan and will provide and overview of the project, its status and insight into the remaining hurdles that officials are working to clear in order to accelerate economic and community benefits. Avedisian will moderate the discussion. In addition to DePasquale, panelists are: Jack Hobbs, FAIA, CEO and president of Collaborative Partners, (Boston, MA); Keith Stokes, RIEDC executive director and RIDOT director Michael Lewis. The Master Plan was drafted with the assistance of Goody Clancy, a firm of architects, preservationists, planners and urban designers based in Boston. The plan and corresponding zoning amendments were adopted unanimously by the Warwick City Council in January. Funding for the plan was provided by the Federal Highway Administration through a Transportation and Community and Systems Preservation Grant. This will be among more than 20 workshops presented as part of Grow Smart Rhode Island's Power of Place Summit on Friday, May 11th at the Rhode Island Convention Center. The Summit will examine in depth how Rhode Island can best use its assets to jump start our economy. Nationally recognized developer and urban revitalization expert, Chris Leinberger, and Smart Growth America Executive Director Geoff Anderson will deliver the keynote address: How 21st century development trends can be a competitive advantage for Rhode Island. The Summit will also debut the first-ever Rhode Island Smart Growth Awards recognizing and celebrating 11 outstanding leaders, projects, plans and policies that are accelerating economic and community benefits for Rhode Island. The Summit is expected to attract up to 500 opinion leaders, state and local officials, developers, real estate professionals, planners, farmers, architects, engineers and everyday residents who care about the kind of place we're leaving the next generation. Complete information about the Summit, including registration information, can be found at www.growsmartri.org