Warwick: The city on the move - by Scott Avedisian of the City of Warwick

Located in the heart of southern New England, the city of Warwick offers unlimited opportunities for new business development and a host of resources to help companies thrive. Home to T.F. Green Airport and Rhode Island's intermodal commuter rail station, the Interlink, with easy access to Interstates 95 and 295, Warwick is a convenient location for employees and customers alike. Recently, the Rhode Island Airport Corp. announced that Condor Airlines will start regularly-scheduled seasonal service from Frankfurt, Germany to T.F. Green Airport this summer. Additionally, TACV will begin service from T. F. Green Airport (PVD) to the Cape Verde Islands in June. City Centre Warwick, a multi-modal transit center comprised of 95 acres surrounding the airport and intermodal station, and the adjacent "business innovation district" offers some three million s/f for mixed-use redevelopment, including residential. A recent market segmentation analysis has identified specific opportunities for foreign trade, high-value manufacturing, distribution services, and the health care, educational services, financial, and biotechnology industries (visit www.citycentrewarwick for more information). Several months ago, Michael Integlia, president of Michael Integlia & Co. unveiled conceptual plans for a prospective development in the business innovation district adjacent to City Centre Warwick that will meet the needs of a 21st Century economy and enhance efforts to revitalize the neighborhood into a vibrant, multi-modal residential and commerce center. Last year, Integlia sought and received approval to subdivide the former 86-acre Leviton property into five separate parcels: one now the headquarters of Dean Warehousing Corp., which offers superior strategies for global manufacturing and distributing; one 25-acre parcel that will be held as open space in perpetuity; a seven-acre parcel for office space; a six-acre parcel fronting Kilvert St.; and a five-acre parcel that includes the Elizabeth Mill dating to 1875.The new, $50 million project is slated for the Elizabeth Mill site; the four-story, 300,000 s/f, mixed-use building will incorporate some original features of the mill including bricks, doors, pieces of the granite water table, cast-iron stairs and signage. The $29.9 million Apponaug Circulator project is underway, and it will improve traffic flow in Warwick's busy central village of Apponaug by creating five, new, modern roundabouts and adding 1,100 feet of new road. The Apponaug Circulator is one of the city's major arteries, which has not been altered since the 1970s. Approximately 24,500 vehicles pass through Apponaug Village each day. The project, once completed, is expected to decrease traffic in the village center dramatically, easing congestion and delays. This multi-faceted project will be anchored by a new, 127 room, waterfront hotel which will add to our vibrant base of 16 hotels throughout the city. Additional focused development will take place around the new traffic patterns, which will enhance livability, improve safety and create a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood creating a vibrant marketplace for new business development. Scott Avedisian is the mayor of Warwick, R.I.