| When the U.S. Post office decided to end their lease on their
old building on the corner of Waterman's Ave and Smith Street, the Town
of North Providence knew they had to step in. The residents of Centerdale
Village depended on having the Post Office nearby. What many didn't like
was the fact that the Post Office sat at the intersection of two one-way
streets. And residents of two nearby apartment buildings had to cross a
busy street to get there. Across from the Post Office stood a vacant lot
of land next to the Wooansquatucket River. The Town was considering buying
the lot for commercial development. They were thinking about a small shopping
center with a deli, maybe a bank or a...Post Office! Through the American
Heritage River Program representatives from the U.S. Postal Service were
linked up with Mayor Mollis and Leo Perrota the North Providence town planner.
The Post Office will now move only a short distance, to the planned shoppping
center across the street. The shopping center will also have a bus-stop
which will replace a more confusing stop down the street. The new space
will highlight the river in its landscaping and have the most modern pollution
control mechanisms installed to prevent runoff from reaching the river.
Three cheers to Johanna Hunter and the leaders in North Providence for their
creative thinking and their AHR success story! |