Gano Gateway, Ice Rink & More

Events this Month

Board Meeting, March 13. Please join us at our monthly FPNA Board Meeting, March 13, 2017 at 7pm, at the Vartan Gregorian Bath House Community Room, 455 Wickenden Street. The public is welcome.

Meet Up With Us! Please join us for drinks and casual conversation at the next FPNA Meet-Up. Neighbors will gather at 7pm on Monday, March 20, 2017 at The Point Tavern to share thoughts and ideas for the neighborhood. All are welcome!

Progress with the Gano Gateway?

In September 2016, The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) defunded the Gano Gateway project, a final element of the I-195 Replacement Highway. As Janye Guertin wrote in “The Unfinished Gateway” for the East Side Monthly in January, “With the best of intentions, the RIDOT set down an ambitious plan.”

Since then, FPNA and partner stakeholders have pressed RIDOT to restore funding and complete the project as planned. “Both parties seem encouraged,” said one stakeholder, though no definitive decisions or plans have been announced.

Meanwhile, as neighbors and commuters can plainly see, the area at Gano Street and Rte. 195 has languished, with unsightly piles of construction debris, lack of lighting and parking in the area, and a dangerous 90-degree turn under the Washington Bridge. Former FPNA Secretary John Rousseau said to the ESM, “Traffic flow is seriously hampered by this bottleneck for East Side commuters at Gano Street and for event goers at India Point Park.”

The FPNA is committed to improving the safety, function and appearance of this crucial intersection, for neighbors, commuters, and newcomers visiting Providence. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming weeks.

Seasonal Ice Rink in Gano Park

Please join us in Gano Park for free skating in a new seasonal ice rink, open to all.

Wheeler student Dennis Gastel, an experienced skater and rink builder, built a freestanding ice rink in late January, with the help of classmate Alden Weinberg. The rink is located on the grassy area near the soccer fields of Gano Park.

Gastel won support for the project by the FPNA, the Partnership for Providence Parks, and the City Department of Parks & Recreation, which has installed safety fencing surrounding the rink area. Gastel and several friends plan to maintain the smooth surface during the life of the rink.

"The Parks Department is thrilled to work with the community on youth-driven projects like the Fox Point Rink,” said Wendy Nilsson for the City of Providence. It is a “wonderful partnership,” added Helene Miller of PPP. “This newly built rink is now a dynamic and featured part of the Gano Street Park for the winter season,” she said.

Most of all, the rink brings people together during a time of year when it’s easy to stay inside. “It’s a way to get away from screens,” said Gastel. “There’s nothing like being on a rink with family and friends.”

Gano Park is located on Gano Street between East Transit and Amy Streets, with parking on the street or in the adjacent lot. The rink is open during the daylight hours; skate at your own risk. Stay tuned to the FPNA Facebook page for updates on the rink, which will come down when the weather warms up.

Potholes? Residents Embrace 3-1-1

Until March of last year, the City of Providence used a phone-based system to process special requests for city services. When neighbors noticed potholes, graffiti, code violations and other neighborhood issues, they picked up the phone and called the City.

Now, residents can submit requests online or with the PVD311 smartphone app. Jen Stevens, Director of the Human Relations Commission for the Office of the Mayor, encourages residents to describe the problem, pinpoint the location and send a picture upon discovery.

The upgraded system records requests more securely and efficiently than before. According to Andrew Jacques, Director of the Mayor's Center for City Services, between March and December 2016, the City processed and completed 412 requests from Fox Point residents alone. That's a lot of problems solved!

Residents can access the 3-1-1 system by downloading the free app (PVD311), dialing 3-1-1 by phone during business hours, or by clicking “PVD 3-1-1” on the city website, www.providenceri.com.

Image, Amy Mendillo