Hillside’s legal fate deferred
A court hearing that may influence the future of the now-empty Hillside Health Center has been delayed for at least a month, according to the receiver for the bankrupt nursing home. The case centers around whether the mortgage holder, Suburban Mortgage, will be allowed to buy the property back. Suburban, which is closely linked to Hillside’s former owner, Anthony Giordano, wants to ensure that the property does not sell for less than the $12.5 million still owed on the mortgage.
According to one of the other bidders, Hillside’s nursing home license has lapsed. If so, it is probably unlikely that the facility can re-open as a nursing home again, although that seems to be the first preference of most neighbors we have talked to. Failing that, some form of residential apartments, perhaps age-restricted, is most likely.
Fasten Your Seatbelts
We’re doing some upgrades to the blogging software here at the SNA site. Apologies for any weirdness, we should be back to normal around here shortly.
Walgreens to Seek North Main Approval
Walgreens wants to build a new drug store at the corner of No. Main and Frost St (the road coming up from Bonanza Bus) Their Major Development Plan will get a first review at a meeting of the City Plan Commission next week, Thursday the 27th, at 4:30. (Note that SNA will have its own meeting on North Main Street later that evening.)
The meeting will be held at the Brigham Middle School, on Westminster Street (on the right if you are heading West, just before Onleyville Square). You may look at the plans in advance at the Department of Planning and Development, 400 Westminster Street. Please call planner Bonnie Nickerson at 351-4300 for more information.
Read everything about: North Main St. - Planning the Future
More than one way to fix a sidewalk
If the broken or uneven sidewalk in front of your house was not chosen for replacement this year under Councilman Jackson’s bond-funded program (see story below), you still have two options for possible no-cost repairs, according to David Pontarelli in the Mayor’s office. Read more
Citizens responds swiftly to neighbor concerns
SNA salutes Citizens Bank Hope Street Branch Manager Sandra Carey and Regional Manager Dennis Wyatt for their rapid action on a neighbor concerns about safety at their lot on the corner of Hope and Lauriston. Neighbors cited traffic and pedestrian safety, noise, some after-hours uses of the lot and the property’s appearance among their issues with Citizens. At the bank’s request, neighbors are now developing requests for improved landscaping. Read more
Court ruling on Hillside this week
April 7 - An attorney for the receiver of the bankrupt Hillside Health Center expects a court ruling by Wednesday, April 12th, that may decide the direction of development at the now-abandoned site between Hillside and Chace Avenues. Read more
Neighborhood engagement agenda covered in Projo
Today’s Projo metro notes contained a very extensive report of Summit activities, including the annual meeting, neighborhood engagement plans, special projects and the Annual Yard Sale. Good to see Summit taking up some column inches ! Read more
Update: School Board votes to close Nathan Bishop M.S.
This is a correction to an earlier post, which said the Providence School Board vote on Nathan Bishop was April 4th. The vote was Monday, April 3rd (today). The School Board voted to close Bishop and re-accomodate its students in other schools.
The Providence School Board voted this evening to close the Nathan Bishop Middle School for one year over the strong objections of everyone except the school’s East Side neighbors.
Supt. Donnie Evans’ recommendation to close Bishop caught parents, teachers and union leaders by surprise. Until Friday, Evans was proposing to close the middle school and re-open it as a high school for ninth-and tenth-graders in the fall.