In Rhode Island, An Abandoned Mill Revived As Park
It cost $12 million to turn a dilapidated textile mill property into a park. But the return on investment has been priceless.
Jane Sherman founded the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council in 1998 to expand river revitalization initiatives. She led the charge to convert a 12-acre complex in Providence into Riverside Park, now one of the most vibrant, active parks in the city.
The Riverside project helped spark the Woonasquatucket River Greenway, a national showcase of urban renewal. The Greenway, which once housed abandoned mills and urban blight, is now the home of Providence’s first off-road bike path.
Sherman’s vision and hard work have altered the quality of life along the Woonasquatucket, The River Network cites.
A string of city parks now line the river. Community gardens are thriving at Riverside , where until recently weeds grew around the rubble of an old and forgotten mill.
—Sean McCoy
