Broad Street Regeneration Initiative Hires New Coordinator, Grant Writer Thanks to RI Foundation Funding
Broad Street Regeneration Initiative Hires New Coordinator, Grant Writer Thanks to RI Foundation Funding
(Pawtucket, RI – December 3, 2018) – The initiative to improve a 3.2 mile stretch of Broad Street through Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cumberland has won a $50,000 grant to bring on new staff to continue driving the two-year-old project. The funding from the Rhode Island Foundation enabled Broad Street Regeneration Initiative (BSRI) to hire Laura Burkett as project coordinator. “This grant is 40 percent more than we awarded last year. The increase in funding is a vote of confidence in what BSRI achieved last year and its potential to do even more,“ says Chris Barnett, Senior Communications and Marketing Officer at the Rhode Island Foundation.
Burkett, a multi-lingual Pawtucket resident with 25-plus years marketing and communications experience, replaces Jillian Finkle, who left to become Principal Planner for the City of Central Falls.
“The community grant awarded to BSRI by the Rhode Island Foundation is instrumental in helping us continue to provide a dedicated liaison to the business community impacted by this project,” said Bob Billington, Executive Director of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. “Laura brings a fresh perspective to the position and has already made initial contact with many of the business owners on Broad Street.”
According to Billington, the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative has a long history, with organized efforts to improve the area actively in the works from 2007 to 2012 but hitting a wall and stalling for a while from 2013 to 2016.
A renewed energy around the BSRI came in 2017 with an $11.5 million commitment in funding from the State Transportation Improvement Program. Additional support from the Rhode Island Foundation at that time made possible Finkle’s hiring as a liaison to the businesses located on Broad Street. After a year of laying important groundwork in messaging and communications, Finkle has shifted gears but is confident Burkett will carry the project forward.
“Laura is a great addition to the team,” said Finkle. “Her experience, energy and talents are just what the project needs to maintain momentum and garner the support of even more local businesses and community members. I couldn’t pass this torch to a better, more qualified person.”
Burkett spent over two decades in the corporate world providing marketing acumen to such companies as Coors Brewing, PepsiCo and Hasbro.
“I’m thrilled to play an important role in the continuation of BSRI 2.0 and have this opportunity to directly serve my community,” said Burkett, who moved to Rhode Island in 2009 after living abroad for nearly 10 years. While living in Europe, Burkett spearheaded the administrative efforts of a unique study abroad program for American college students. Burkett speaks fluent Italian and Spanish and is currently a small business owner herself as a leather artist with a studio on Fountain Street in Pawtucket. She is also the owner operator of ArtSmart Productions and produces the annual Art Providence Holiday Show in the Rhode Island Convention Center.
Mayor Grebien of Pawtucket stated, “Broad Street is a pivotal thoroughfare for Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Cumberland. The addition of Laura Burkett and her widespread experience will be instrumental to ensuring that our businesses and community are involved in the Broad Street Regeneration process. We welcome her to the team and are excited to continue the great work.”
A portion of funds from the Rhode Island Foundation community grant also supports a part-time grant writer for the project, a position recently filled by Bianca Policastro of The Policastro Group.
“The Policastro Group is pleased to represent the Broad Street Regeneration 2.0 initiative and looks forward to working with the municipalities of Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cumberland to bring this project to fruition,” said Policastro.
The Policastro Group, based in Providence, provides management and consulting services for businesses and organizations. Policastro serves as Vice President for the company which was founded in 2016 and has an extensive background in grant writing, research, fundraising and program development. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and earned her Master’s in Public Administration at Roger Williams University.
“We’re pleased to bring Ms. Burkett’s marketing talents to the Broad Street Regeneration effort and to have the Policastro Group join our team. We need to push more than ever to bring back Broad Street to a prominent retail economic driver for Pawtucket, Central Falls and Cumberland,” added Billington.
For more information on the Broad Street Regeneration Initiative and to get involved in revitalization efforts, please visit www.mybroadstreetri.com or send an e-mail to broadstreetcoordinator@gmail.com.