THE FUTURE
The progress we’ve made in the past three-and-a-half years has only continued to inspire and invigorate me to build on the tremendous momentum to improve our community that we’ve developed.
To that end, we’re going to continue our economic development work, listening to the business community as to how we can better serve them, and working cooperatively not only to position existing businesses for great success, but to attract a diverse new group of businesses and development opportunities here.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us a lot. Among those lessons is an appreciation of having good parks and recreational facilities to enjoy. We’ve already improved recreational facilities at City Park, Oakland Beach, Apponaug, Arnold’s Neck, and Conimicut. Going forward, I plan to implement a playground refurbishment program, paid for through existing district recreation monies (funded by developer impact fees, not taxpayers) to make sure all of our playgrounds are safe and fun places for our kids to enjoy.
Mickey Stevens, once the crown jewel of Warwick’s recreational facilities, has fallen into disrepair over the years. A 2006 bond for improvements authorized by voters was never issued, and nearly 20 years later, we’re seeing the unfortunate results of that decision. I’m happy to report that we have a terrific plan for rehabilitation and improvements at the complex. That plan is ready to go out for design and engineering. We’ve applied for federal grants to help offset total construction cost.
Our residents and our business people are the heart and soul of Warwick, and it’s so important to me to help foster that sense of community by providing and supporting free or affordable family-friendly activities, programs and special events. In the years to come, we’ll continue to have our movie nights, food truck events, summer concerts, public skate and open swim, along with special events like our WinterFest, The Great Race, and our four annual firework celebrations, including First Night to usher in the New Year.
