Mayor: NP is seeing unprecedented building boom

NORTH PROVIDENCE – This town is now undergoing more than $100 million in new commercial construction on redeveloping parcels, says Mayor Charles Lombardi, activity he says he’s never seen in his lifetime here.

“I tell everyone that we will do anything to encourage new business, and I guess it’s working,” he said.

Under construction are two new schools, a new public safety complex, a Planet Fitness facility, Wendy’s, Providence Bagel, Honey Dew, TD Bank, Cumberland Farms and Washington Trust. Recently added are multiple strip malls, a new Laundromax, and the new Providence Brewing Company. Most of the growth is happening along the busy Mineral Spring Avenue, which until two years ago was still seeing plenty of vacant storefronts, even several years after the Great Recession ended.

North Providence has had a policy of cutting red tape and easing the process for businesses to build or expand during his decade as mayor, said Lombardi, but a strong economy is now helping bring numerous plans long in the making to fruition all at once.

“The economy is more robust, but these people are people we’ve been talking to for years,” he said.

One reason businesses are finding North Providence an attractive place is that they know the mayor’s office and others in town government will work with them to expedite the process – within the confines of the law, of course, said Lombardi. For example, owners of Providence Bagel were struggling to get approval from the state on a curb design and he made a call to make sure that the Rhode Island Department of Transportation knew that “this needs to happen” in short order.

“There aren’t a lot of roadblocks,” he said. “We try to make it as easy as possible.”

Time is money, said the mayor.

“We just let it happen,” he said, adding jokingly, “I don’t belong to the meetings club” where everyone decides to have a second, third and fourth meeting only for the purpose of establishing a committee.

“You never succeed in business that way,” he said.

Also helping commercial growth is the Town Council agreeing to allow more 24-hour licenses in town, officials say.

North Providence continues to be challenged on space, making it impossible to attract large businesses such as Citizens Bank next door in Johnston, said Lombardi. That shortage of space makes it even more important to maximize the potential of existing commercial properties that simply need new life. In many cases, new modern facilities are replacing abandoned or underutilized properties, he said.

Now that business is humming along on Mineral Spring Avenue, said Lombardi, town leaders plan to turn more attention on revitalizing the village of Centredale. He said he expects to unveil more plans for doing so over the coming months.