Eighteen months after the creation of the Thayer Street Improvement District, University administrators and project leaders say the initiative is still on track, but some Thayer Street business owners say they have seen little improvement to the area.
The Thayer Street Improvement District, established in May 2003, is a consortium charged with the task of revitalizing Thayer Street. The city of Providence, the University and Thayer Street property owners have contributed a total of $800,000 to the project.
But 18 months into the project, only a few of its components have been implemented.
Security enhancements and cosmetic improvements such as litter and graffiti removal have been ongoing since June 2003, said Melanie Coon '78, assistant vice president for public affairs and University relations.
But project leaders say capital improvements are still in the planning stages.
"It takes time to get these plans drawn up. You have to understand that everyone on the board has to agree to a vision of what the street is going to look like. This is not a trivial investment, so you want to make sure you get your plan right," Coon said.
The pace of the capital improvements is not unusual, said Daniel Biederman, president of Biederman Redevelopment Ventures Corporation. Biederman is a consultant to the Thayer Street Improvement District.
His previous revitalization projects have taken three to five years from conception to completion, he said, adding that city reviews, budget modifications and plan alterations can further lengthen the timetable. He said it is naïve to think the process of capital improvement can happen quickly.
Biederman is known for his work in Manhattan's Bryant Park and the area around Grand Central Station. Though Thayer Street is smaller than previous areas he has revitalized, he said it is still unrealistic to expect tangible capital improvements after 18 months.
"It has moved forward at about the pace you can expect for a project of this size," Coon said.
She said the University's unique role as both a Thayer Street property owner and a large part of the East Side community strengthens its commitment to improve Thayer Street - ultimately benefiting both Brown and the Providence community.
Gates, Leighton and Associates, an East Providence landscape architecture firm, has been contracted by the board to create and revise plans for capital improvements, Coon said, adding that the district's board approved the plans in July.
But some Thayer Street business owners say the Thayer Street Improvement District has done little to help since its inception.
Kartabar owner Philippe Maatouk said he has not seen any improvements on Thayer Street.
Kathleen Schleimer, owner of Esta's, said she has found the initiative disappointing.
The consortium could have helped Thayer Street businesses the most by improving parking, she said, but the parking situation has only become worse since the start of the improvement effort.
The construction of the University's Life Sciences Building and new city regulations prohibiting parking within 20 feet of intersections have reduced the number of available parking spots for customers, she said, causing Thayer Street businesses to lose more customers to the convenience of the Providence Place Mall.
Esta's, which will be going out of business in December, and other Thayer Street stores compete directly with the Brown Bookstore, Schleimer said, creating an inherent conflict of interest between the University and private store owners.
Brown's participation in the project was spearheaded by Laura Freid, the University's former executive vice president for public affairs and University relations. She left Brown in August 2003.
Michael Chapman, vice president for public affairs and University relations, joined the University in July 2004 to fill the vacancy left by Freid. He said he is committed to advancing the progress of the Thayer Street Improvement District.
"Since I've arrived here, I've become more recently involved in the project. Our plan is to work with the board and the property owners to try to move the process forward and begin a more formal timetable for making these capital improvements that have been in the planning stages for the last year and a half," Chapman said.
The Thayer Street Improvement District was established to fulfill four goals, according to a University news release reporting the creation of the project in May 2003: to improve security; to implement capital improvements, such as improved lighting, attractive paving and horticulture, better signage and removal of obsolete utility poles and street signs; to improve parking availability through a commercial parking provider; and to enhance the cosmetic appearance of the street.
A budget of $800,000 was proposed for the capital improvements when the initiative was established; Brown provided $350,000, the city issued bonds for $400,000 and property owners contributed a fee based on the square footage of the property, according to the University news release.
