GROW SMART RHODE ISLAND

PUBLIC POLICY: WE ORGANIZED OUR POLICY AND PROGRAM WORK IN 2023 UNDER THE GOALS DISCUSSED BELOW: A. REVITALIZED MAIN STREETS AND DOWNTOWNSPECIFIC 2023 DELIVERABLES /OUTPUTS ON THIS FRONT INCLUDED: 1. MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM (MIGP) - THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT GROW SMART RI ADVOCATED FOR BEGINNING IN 2016 AND THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHED BY STATUTE IN 2018. IT IS MODELED AFTER THE VERY SUCCESSFUL MASSWORKS PROGRAM IN MASSACHUSETTS. THE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM, OPERATED FROM THE RHODE ISLAND INFRASTRUCTURE BANK, PROVIDES GRANTS TO MUNICIPALITIES TO UNDERTAKE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT UNLOCK HOUSING AND OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN SMART GROWTH LOCATIONS. WE ADVOCATED CAPITALIZATION OF $20MM/YEAR FOR A MINIMUM OF THREE YEARS. THE FIRST CAPITALIZATION OCCURRED IN FY21 WITH A MODEST $1MM. THIS WAS FOLLOWED IN FY23 WITH AN ADDITIONAL $3.5MM INVESTMENT AND MOST RECENTLY THE FY24 STATE BUDGET INCLUDED A TOTAL OF $12.3MM, - $2.5M FOR THE STANDARD PROGRAM - $5.5M FOR MUNICIPAL MATCH OF FED GRANTS, $4.3M FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SPECIFICALLY TO SUPPORT HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. 2. MAIN STREET CAPACITY BUILDING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INITIATIVESA) AS ADVOCATED FOR BY GROW SMART RI, THE STATE BUDGET EXTENDED THE SUNSET FOR THE MAIN STREET STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM TO THE END OF 2024, ADDED ANOTHER $1 MILLION TO THE FUND (IN ADDITION TO THE $5 MILLION ADDED LAST YEAR) AND ADDED LANGUAGE MAKING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AN ELIGIBLE ACTIVITY FOR FUNDING UNDER THE PROGRAM. B) GROW SMART RI DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS, JILLIAN FINKLE ORGANIZED A FORUM EVENT FOCUSED ON MAIN STREET ON NOVEMBER 16, 2023. TITLED HEALTHY & VIBRANT MAIN STREETS: UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF RI'S COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS, IT WAS HELD AT THE GUILD IN PAWTUCKET. 175 PEOPLE REGISTERED (AT LEAST 40 OF WHOM WERE NOT CURRENTLY PART OF GROW SMART RI'S DISTRIBUTION LIST.) APPROXIMATELY 125 PEOPLE ATTENDED. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR SABINA MATOS AND COMMERCE RI CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER DANIELA FAIRCHILD PROVIDED WELCOMING REMARKS. THE FIVE SPEAKERS HAILED FROM ALL FIVE OF OUR NEIGHBORING STATES: KATHY LAPLANTE (SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COORDINATING PROGRAMS FOR MAIN STREET AMERICA, LIVES IN NH AND FORMERLY RAN NH'S STATE MAIN STREET PROGRAM), GARY HOLLOWAY (MANAGER OF THE VERMONT DOWNTOWN CENTER FOR THE STATE OF VT), MICHELLE MCCABE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CT MAIN STREET CENTER), ED GASKIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GREATER GROVE HALL MAIN STREETS, ONE OF THE 20 LOCAL MAIN STREET PROGRAMS IN BOSTON, MA) AND DELILAH POUPORE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HEART OF BIDDEFORD, A LOCAL MAIN STREET PROGRAM IN BIDDEFORD, ME THAT WON A 2022 GREAT AMERICAN MAIN STREET AWARD.)WE ANNOUNCED AT THE EVENT THAT WE NOW HAVE A CRITICAL MASS OF INTEREST TO LAUNCH A MONTHLY MAIN STREET RI EMAIL NEWSLETTER EARLY IN 2024 AND MONTHLY VIRTUAL 1-HOUR ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS (FUNDED IN PART THROUGH OUR AGREEMENT WITH RI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH) THAT WILL INCLUDE A 20-MINUTE PRESENTATION ON A SPECIFIC TOPIC WITH DISCUSSION AND TIME FOR UPDATES AND INFORMATION SHARING. 3.STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT - THE STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT PROGRAM (HTC) WAS ONCE AGAIN EXTENDED FOR A SINGLE YEAR DURING THE LAST GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION DESPITE OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONSIDER A MULTIYEAR EXTENSION. GROW SMART RI AND PRESERVE RI CO HOSTED AN HTC STRATEGY SESSION ON NOVEMBER 1, 2023 TO REVIEW OPTIONS FOR STRENGTHENING THE PROGRAM IN THE UPCOMING 2024 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION. THE ZOOM MEETING ATTRACTED A LARGE, HIGH POWERED AND DIVERSE AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 30 PARTICIPANTS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT BANKING, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, HOUSING AND REGULATORY SECTORS. THE MEETING FOCUSED ON SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES FACING THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING:-THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES FOR SOME DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOW ROUGHLY YEAR-OLD HTC PROVISION REQUIRING A CERTAIN LEVEL OF WAGE PAYMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ANY PROJECT WITH COSTS OF $ 10 MILLION OR MORE-SEEKING TO GET A LONGER THAN ONE YEAR EXTENSION OF THE PROGRAM, A SHORT-TERM EXTENSION THAT HAS BEEN THE NORM FOR PROBABLY A HALF DOZEN YEARS AT LEAST.-MAKING THE PROGRAM MORE TRANSPARENT FOR HTC STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING DEVELOPERS, BY PROVIDING THEM WITH A BETTER IDEA OF THEIR POSITION IN THE PROGRAM'S LARGE WAITING LIST. A NEED WAS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED TO ENCOURAGE GREATER COORDINATION AND SHARING OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE TWO STATE AGENCIES OVERSEEING THE PROGRAM-THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND HERITAGE COMMISSION AND THE DIVISION OF TAXATION. B) EXPAND AND ENHANCE TRANSPORTATION CHOICES SPECIFIC 2023 DELIVERABLES /OUTPUTS ON THIS FRONT INCLUDED: 1. SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 MARKED THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST 1-YEAR GRANT FROM THE RI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH (RIDOH) - THE FIRST SUCH GRANT FROM RIDOH TO GROW SMART RI SINCE 2016 - AND THE BEGINNING (OCTOBER 1, 2023) OF A 2ND YEAR GRANT FOCUSED ON ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH. IN ADDITION, STAFF IS WORKING WITH OFFICIALS AT RIDOH TO CONTRACT FOR A THIRD GRANT THAT WOULD EXTEND THROUGH 2028.THE YEAR 1 GRANT WAS PROGRAMMED FOR $125,000 AND PAID FOR THE CREATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A RI STREETS TRANSFORMATION MINI-GRANT PROJECT. $92,000 OF THAT GRANT WAS DISBURSED IN COMPETITIVE MINI-GRANTS TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS PROPOSING TEMPORARY 'COMPLETE STREETS' DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS, INITIATIVES AND EVENTS THAT ENCOURAGE INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, OR PROMOTION OF MUNICIPAL COMPLETE STREETS POLICIES. 17 SUCH GRANTS WERE AWARDED ACROSS RI.2. ADDRESSING RIPTA'S FISCAL CLIFF AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE-APPROVED TRANSIT MASTER PLANOUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JOHN FLAHERTY MADE IMPORTANT PRESENTATIONS TO THE MEDIA AND RIPTA BOARD COUNTERING THE FALSE NARRATIVE THAT RIPTA IS A BROKEN, INCOMPETENT AGENCY, AND, IN SO DOING, SOLIDIFIED OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRANSIT UNION AND KEY RIPTA STAFF 3.IMPROVING RIDOT'S CARBON REDUCTION PLAN - AS PART OF THE FEDERAL IIJA, (INFRASTRUCTURE BILL) ALL STATE DOT'S WERE REQUIRED TO DEVELOP CARBON REDUCTION STRATEGIES BY NOVEMBER 15, 2023. IN RETURN FOR AN APPROVED PLAN, RHODE ISLAND IS IN LINE TO RECEIVE APPROX. $35M IN ADDITIONAL FEDERAL SUPPORT TO INVEST IN STRATEGIES THAT HELP TO LOWER CLIMATE EMISSIONS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR. GROW SMART RI COLLABORATED WITH A NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ON A JOINT COMMENT LETTER, IN ADDITION TO ONE OF OUR OWN, HIGHLIGHTING CONCERNS AND MAKING SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT --CALLING FOR LESS RELIANCE ON EXPANDING HIGHWAY CAPACITY TO REDUCE CONGESTION AND INSTEAD INCREASING INVESTMENTS IN ACTIVE AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY TO LOWER EMISSIONS. JOHN ALSO ALERTED OUR CLIMATE CONTACTS WITHIN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE COMMENT, WHICH THEY DID, AND WHICH EARNED SIGNIFICANT MEDIA COVERAGE AND RESULTED IN RIDOT AMENDING ITS PLAN IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS CONSISTENT WITH OUR CALLS. 4.ADVANCING THE RIDE ISLAND BICYCLE NETWORK PLAN FOR AQUIDNECK ISLAND - WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE VAN BEUREN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, JOHN CONTINUES TO SERVE ON THE RIDE ISLAND PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM, TOGETHER WITH BIKE NEWPORT AND TOOLE DESIGN CONSULTANTS. THE PLAN WAS COMPLETED IN AUGUST 2023, AND THE TEAM HAS NOW TRANSITIONED TO FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION.C) REFORM LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES AND PRACTICES. SPECIFIC 2023 DELIVERABLES /OUTPUTS ON THIS FRONT INCLUDED:1. GROW SMART RI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SCOTT WOLF CONTINUED TO BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF WHAT'S NOW BEEN RENAMED AS THE HOUSE'S COMMISSION ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, STILL ABLY CHAIRED BY STRONG GROW SMART RI ALLY, REPRESENTATIVE JUNE SPEAKMAN.2. UNDER STEFAN PRYOR'S LEADERSHIP, THE RI DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING SUBMITTED A BUDGET REQUEST THAT CONTAINS SEVERAL LONGSTANDING PRIORITY PROPOSALS OF GROW SMART RI INCLUDING EXPANDING THE SUPER TIF PROGRAM AND INCENTIVES FOR TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT. 3. OUR DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS, JILLIAN FINKLE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SCOTT WOLF PROVIDED IDEAS AND INFORMATION TO THE STAFF OF COMMERCE RI WHICH RESULTED IN MANY SMART GROWTH CONCEPTS AND INITIATIVES BEING INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT OF THE STATE'S NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.