Brownfields in New England

Meeting Street National Center of Excellence - Providence, RI
(April 2006)

Program: EPA Cleanup Grant
Grantee: City of Providence (contacts)
Summary: An economically distressed and contaminated neighborhood in the city of Providence is being converted into two special needs schools and a neighborhood community center.

Meeting Street has been nationally recognized for its exceptional educational, early intervention, childhood development and clinical services. With an annual budget of $11 million and a 180 person staff, the center has been benefiting families and children of all ages for over 60 years. Now, with the development of the National Center of Excellence, a former residential and commercial site contaminated with lead, arsenic and other hazardous substances will be converted into a special needs school for children and young adults.

The Center of Excellence will be home to two schools as well as a neighborhood community center. The Grace School, one of the nation’s first fully inclusive K-8 schools, and the Carter School, a unique high school which focuses on life after graduation. The student-based curriculum is designed for children, ages ranging from birth to 21 years old. The community center services will include education, recreation, mental health services for infants and children, family support, advocacy and research. The center will also serve as a resource center for families providing information on medical issues, educational curricula and treatment options. In addition, the center will offer its experience and clinical expertise to professionals and students in local school districts through consulting and professional development programs.

The facility, which is a LEED certified “green” building, will comprise 1.75 acres of the 7 acre site. Another 3 acres of the site, designated for greenspace, will be developed into an outdoor play area and multiple athletic fields available for community use. It will be conveniently located in an economically distressed neighborhood in the heart of Providence. The 0.88 square mile target community in the Lower South area is a federally designated Enterprise Zone / Empowerment Zone with many vacant lots and little recreational space. With a population of 5,744 people, the median household income is $16,857, less than two-thirds of the city median. Almost 40% of the residents, predominately Hispanic and African American, live in poverty. According to the 1990 census, Lower South Providence had a 20% unemployment rate.

The much needed construction of the National Center of Excellence is anticipated to bring 369 new jobs, thus increasing economic output and household earnings in the community.

In 2003, Meeting Street launched a capital campaign program to raise funds for the National Center of Excellence called “The Power of Inclusion”. This program allows donors to name and fund a specific area of the campus, in order to honor or serve as a memorial to a loved one, family member or friend. “The Power of Inclusion” target goal is $15,000,000 and to date $8,000,000 has been raised. With an anticipated opening date in late 2006, The National Center of Excellence will serve 1700 children and their families on a yearly basis.

Timeline:

• 1946:  Meeting Street was established

• 1990:  Lower South Providence reported a 20% unemployment rate

• 2003:  “The Power of Inclusion” was silently launched

• April 2005:  Groundbreaking Ceremony scheduled

• June 2005:  Meeting Street received an EPA hazardous substance clean-up grant

• Late 2006:  Anticipated opening date

Funding:
“The Power of Inclusion” Donor Report (As of July 2005)

$1,000,000+

• The Carter Family Charitable Trust
• CVS/pharmacy Charitable Trust

$500,000 - $999,999

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

$250,000 - $499,999

• Kim and Liz Chace (private donors)
• The Champlain Foundation
• Henry and Peggy Sharpe (private donors)

$100,000 - $249,000

• The Amica Companies Foundation
• Malcolm and Erin Chase (private donors)
• Citizens Bank Foundation
• Barry and Kathleen Hittner (private donors)
• Richard and Annette MacAdams (private donors)
• The John Marshall Family (private donors)
• Paul and Jean Moran (private donors)
• Mr. and Mrs. Paul Nicholson, Jr. (private donors)
• Tom and Kathy Ryan (private donors)
• U.S Environmental Protection Agency

And many other significant contributors