Providence Mayor Angel Taveras has enlisted the help of a design firm to zone the city's Jewelry District and surrounding areas following the relocation of I-195, according to a press release from the Mayor's office.
The firm, Perkins and Will, will determine how best to develop the area. Land parcels will open once the state finalizes the move of the highway.
The University has previously expressed interest in aquiring plots freed up by the Iway project. In 2009, adminstrators from Brown and Johnson and Wales University lobbied state legislators to assure the two universities exclusive rights to purchase the lots. But city planners have insisted the land be sold at market value.
The Jewelry District is home to the Women and Infants Hospital and the will house Brown's new Medical Education Building. The area is a potential hub for businesses attracted by Providence's biomedical and biotechnical resources.
