What should be done with empty Memorial Hospital Complex in Pawtucket? (sale, house)
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Since empty buildings in RI seem to be a major concern, what do Rhode Islanders propose be done with the former Memorial Hospital campus in Pawtucket? It is located on Brewster Street just a few blocks down Pond Street from McCoy Stadium. The now closed 294 bed hospital operated at this site from 1894-2018 and had a campus consisting of several buildings built over time. The main building was six stories tall and sat high above the river visible to cars on Route 95. The entire complex consisted of approximately 15 acres bounded by Brewster, Pond, Prospect, and Beechwood.
What would people suggest be done? Shouldn't this be a priority to focus on? How much financial assistance should the state of RI provide to repurpose the facility?
"Empty buildings in RI seem to be a major concern". Never a good sign!
"Empty buildings in RI seem to be a major concern". Never a good sign!
So pick one relatively poor area, such as Pawtucket, and extrapolate that to the entire state. Way to go.
Something else will move into that building eventually or it will be torn down. That's what generally happens, but not necessarily overnight. I would like to see another medical facility with an emergency room move in to take the burden off existing hospitals in the regions.
"Empty buildings in RI seem to be a major concern". Never a good sign!
Been that way since the 60's....when the industrial revolution died. Welcome to the post Industrial Revolution. Cool thing is many of the old factories are progressing into new functions. Its beautiful building stock to have around.
Does Pawtucket need a new building for a Middle School or HS. If the bones of this are great then this might be able to be used as replacement to anything that may be as bad as some of those in Cranston.
Old Fruit of the Loom Buildings, Nylo Hotel, New Brew Pub, Apartments and new businesses moving in.....so there is hope for all of Rhode Island and its abandoned buildings. https://www.unionboxcompany.com/news/
"ALL of Rhode Island" is the semantic issue that is misleading. ALL of Rhode Island was and is not a mill town. ALL of Rhode Island is NOT covered in abandoned buildings.
Are the areas that have some improving? To some extent- yes. Plenty of old mills have become condos. Not enough- sure- always room for improvement. Look at the Promenade area downtown- transformed.
Been that way since the 60's....when the industrial revolution died. Welcome to the post Industrial Revolution. Cool thing is many of the old factories are progressing into new functions. Its beautiful building stock to have around.
Does Pawtucket need a new building for a Middle School or HS. If the bones of this are great then this might be able to be used as replacement to anything that may be as bad as some of those in Cranston.
Old Fruit of the Loom Buildings, Nylo Hotel, New Brew Pub, Apartments and new businesses moving in.....so there is hope for all of Rhode Island and its abandoned buildings. https://www.unionboxcompany.com/news/
Not surprisingly, long developed Pawtucket has some of the oldest school buildings in the state.
Tolman HS - 1926
Shea HS - 1938
Slater MS - 1918
Goff MS - 1932
Potter Burns ES - 1919
Nathaniel Greene ES - 1916
Pawtucket voters previously approved a total of $56 million in bonds and reimbursement from the state. As part of this, the two elementary schools above were just totally renovated at a cost of $32M. The city closed each school for a year and moved the students to the rented former St Leo's School. The overhauls of the two buildings was far less costly than constructing new facilities.
The middle and high schools listed above are sorely in need of work. It has long been thought that the city might eventually consolidate its high schools and build a single new facility where McCoy Stadium is once its days hosting a team were over. Tolman's football field is adjacent to the stadium (it also played both soccer and baseball there until the late 90's when the fields were converted into parking as part of the stadium renovation).
The Memorial Hospital location does not work for locating a middle school as its neighborhood has the city's newest such school (Jenks MS - 1977). It would work for a high school but the McCoy Stadium site is probably less costly and more suited for a school given it already has a football field there. Furthermore, the stadium likely offers less options for other use than does Memorial.
As for rehabs of older buildings, Pawtucket likely only trails Providence in number statewide. Many old mills have been converted into lofts and apartments in the last three decades: Slater Cotton Mill/Riverfront Lofts/American Wire/Lofts 125/28 Bayley/Blackstone Landing. Other mills have been converted to other business use: Hasbro/American Heritage River Center/The Guild Isle Brewers. Many old schools have also become housing: Doyle Manor (old sr/jr HS)/Sacred Heart School/St. Mary's School. Fire stations have been repurposed: Senior Center (Main St)/Simonian Law (Broadway). The Pawtucket Armory has become an exhibit center. The old To Kalon Business Men's Club building was converted into the HQ for the Public Archeology Lab. The old mill complex which is now known as Hope Artiste Village is currently being further rehabbed.
Sad to hear that. My oldest daughter (51 now) was born there; that wing of the hospital was brand new at that time. We and my 'room mate' were the first to use the room, and named our girls the same.
Probably relates to the older wings to the north and south of the six story 1960's/70's main structure.
Interesting that the deed for the original gift of the property limits its use. Also worth noting that the MH complex (597,000sf) is far larger in square footage than the Industrial National Bank tower in Providence (441,000sf) likely making it the biggest current vacant space in RI.
Make no mistake, relations between Care New England, whose deliberate actions hastened the hospital's closure, and the city are not good. Pawtucket will continue to hold Care NE accountable.
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