On Friday, April 26, ONE Neighborhood Builders, one of the state’s leading nonprofit affordable housing developers, held a ribbon cutting alongside elected and appointed government and housing leaders to celebrate the completion of its Residences at Riverside Square development in East Providence.
The ceremony drew out over 80 attendees on a beautiful sunny day to celebrate the revitalization of the long vacant and environmentally blighted property adjacent to the East Bay Bike Path known as the “old Vamco site.” The development brings 16 new, affordable rental apartments for extremely low- to moderate-income households to the Riverside community. The development offers a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments.
In addition to Jennifer Hawkins, President and CEO of ONE Neighborhood Builders, guests heard remarks from an esteemed group of affordable housing advocates, including:
- Gabe Amo, U.S. House Representative District 1
- Bob DaSilva, Mayor East Providence
- Valarie Lawson, Senate District 14, Senate Majority Whip
- Secretary Stefan Pryor, Rhode Island Department of Housing
- Carol Ventura, Executive Director, RIHousing
- Lisa Guillette, Executive Director, Foster Forward
“It’s incredibly exciting to celebrate the completion
Jennifer Hawkins, President & CEO of ONE Neighborhood Builders.
of the Residences at Riverside Square. I’m grateful to Mayor DaSilva for our continued partnership and shared commitment to creating affordable housing with the community’s needs in mind at every step,” said Hawkins. “This development is a small but notable step to addressing the housing crisis that plagues every community throughout Rhode Island.”
Residences at Riverside Square brings ONE Neighborhood Builders’ portfolio to nearly 500 rental apartments, 52 of which are in East Providence. “I look forward to continuing to collaborate with East Providence to bring additional, much-needed affordable housing to the city through our Center City Apartments and Aldersbride at East Point developments,” said Hawkins.
ONE Neighborhood Builders’ has another 183 homes in pre-development in East Providence:
- Center City Apartments will bring 144 affordable apartments to a long-vacant and blighted, three acre property along Taunton Ave. This development is in partnership with Crossroads Rhode Island, Foster Forward, and Family Service of Rhode Island.
- Aldersbridge at East Point will bring 39 affordable apartments for older adults to Rumford in partnership with Aldersbridge Communities, with a specific focus on serving the LGBTQ community.
Bob DaSilva, Mayor of East Providence .
Mayor Bob DaSilva and his administration have played an integral role in the Residences at Riverside development. “As mayor of this incredible city I hear from our residents about the lack of affordable housing. This project not only provides options for our residents, but it is a unique project in that it reserves three units for children aging out of foster care. It is a cause that is not only near and dear to me but brings me great pride to know that we are the home to this incredible project,” said Mayor DaSilva. The apartments reserved for youth aging out of foster care was made possible through ONE Neighborhood Builders’ partnership with Foster Forward.
“Mayor DaSilva and the East Providence Housing Authority have also been wonderful partners and through the extraordinary support of the New England Patriots and Bob’s Discount Furniture, these units have been beautifully furnished with new items selected by the young people,” said Lisa Guillette, Foster Forward’s Executive Director.
Residences at Riverside Square was made possible with financing through a RIHousing mortgage, federal HOME and Housing Trust Fund program funding, as well as the RI Rebounds Production Fund, sourced by State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SFRF) funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Additional support came from the State of Rhode Island’s housing bond program, Building Homes Rhode Island. The City of East Providence also funded the environmental cleanup of the site.
Carol Ventura, Executive Director of RIHousing.
“RIHousing is proud to have supported The Residences at Riverside Square, which includes over $1 million in State Fiscal Recovery Funds,” said Carol Ventura, CEO of RIHousing. “These resources play a critical role in bringing more safe, affordable homes across the state, especially for the most vulnerable Rhode Islanders. We look forward to continuing to work alongside the City and great partners like ONE Neighborhood Builders to bring more opportunities like Riverside Square to East Providence and other communities in our state.”
The development team for this project included:
- Developer: ONE Neighborhood Builders
- Architect: Union Studio Architecture & Community Design
- General Contractor: Pezzuco Construction
- Engineer: Commonwealth Engineers & Consultants, Inc.
- Property Management: Peabody Properties Inc.
- Legal Counsel: McGunagle Hentz, PC
In addition to projects in East Providence, ONE Neighborhood Builders has 147 affordable homes in pre-development in other municipalities: 59 in Providence, 44 in Central Falls, and 44 in Cumberland.
Elected and appointed government and housing leaders cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of ONE Neighborhood Builders’ Residences at Riverside Square development in East Providence.
Left to right: Gabe Amo, U.S. House Representative District 1, Jennifer Hawkins, President & CEO of ONE Neighborhood Builders, Valarie Lawson, Senate District 14 and Senate Majority Whip, and Bob DaSilva, Mayor East Providence .
