Pawtucket River Tidewater/Riverfront Project
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The Pawtucket River's tidewater riverfront is primarily brownfield sites and undeveloped land. Sitting in a narrow gorge, approaching the riverfront can be difficult. And because it sits at the very top of Narragansett Bay, federal regulations impose an unusually high flood zone to 18 feet above sea level in case of storm surge.
It is against this background that the City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island is developing a plan to make the Tidewater/Riverfront a major focus of civic life and a destination for visitors. (The image below, courtesty of plan developers GLA, shows a view of the historic Division Street Bridge behind the proposed, new pedestrian bridge.
File:Pawtucket Riverfront-3-09-23.jpg
The current plan, released March 2006 and shown below, covers only land owned by the City or land the City believes it can easily acquire. A significant parcel of land on the west/Town Landing side (bottom of illustration) is indicated on some images but is absent on this illustration. Currently owned by British utilities conglomerate National Grid, this brownfield site houses two large oil tanks and a former power plant.
File:PRFP-current-plan.jpg The plan comprises hardscape and landscape on both sides of the Pawtucket River, as well as a pedestrian bridge linking the two sides. Town Landing, on the western side of the river and at bottom of this illustration. Will be expanded to accomodate a wider variety of working and pleasure craft.
