By WPRO News
The City of Providence will acquire the former headquarters of the Urban League of Rhode Island, planning to transform the Prairie Ave. property into “a future community hub” for the Upper South Providence neighborhood.
The announcement came Monday morning inside the cavernous landmark building that has gone largely unused for some time. The city has appropriated $1.6 million from American Rescue Plan Act funds, which is separate from money earmarked for a city-led reparations project, and U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse secured another $1 million in federal funding to conduct site preparation, assessments and cleanup.
Two community groups, Higher Ground International and New Bridges for Haitian Success currently occupy the property, which is slated for demolition once the Providence Redevelopment Agency and the Urban League conduct a public ‘reimagining’ and come up with a plan to reuse the site.
“I am excited about the future of this building, and that this section of South Side will once again be beautiful, it will once again thrive,” said Shawndell Burney Speaks, Executive Director of the African American Ambassadors Group and Senior Advisor to Mayor Elorza.
Elorza said Mayor-elect Brett Smiley is committed to supporting the project to reuse the property.
“Our commitment to you is to stay involved in the community, to put first: engagement, enlightenment and self-empowerment,” said Urban League Chair Beverly Ledbetter.
