Part IV: Prosperous City

PART IV PROSPEROUS CITY “Warwick is blessed with many excellent assets and business development opportunities.” —WARWICK RESIDENT Economic Development Opportunity Sectors Regional Retail for the 21St Century: Route 2/ Bald Hill Road Enhancement District • Educational services: satellite or specialty campus. • An urban design overlay district to improve the • Financial services: call centers, customer service, experience of shopping on Route 2—functionally and processing, and data centers. aesthetically—and maintain this district as the state’s • Health care: satellite, regional, and walk-in facilities. premier destination shopping area. • Medical devices and instruments: manufacturing, customization, packing and kitting, and foreign trade. Neighborhood Retail Right-Sized and Mixed With Housing • Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals: manufacturing, dosing, packaging and kitting. • A planning and zoning framework to promote redevelopment of neighborhood shopping centers at High-value manufacturing: • assembly, final major intersections as mixed-use centers. manufacturing, customization, service, remanufacturing. • Mixed-use zoning in major corridors to encourage • Professional and technical services. multi-family development of underutilized and vacant retail locations. City Centre Warwick Development District: Live-Work-Play at the Gateway to Rhode Island Economic Development and Warwick Tradition • Implementation of the Master Plan to make the district • Continued support for the shellfish industry a transit and regional transportation hub, an economic growth center, an arts and culture center, and a lively, • Strengthened tourism based on natural and cultural mixed-use urban neighborhood. assets Fastest-Growing Industry Segments, Warwick 2002–2010 Ambulatory health care services Warwick Innovation District: Technology and Food and beverage stores Nursing and residential-care facilities Light Manufacturing Heavy and civil engineering construction Insurance carriers Computer systems design services • The industrial area near I-95, Warwick Station, Accounting services Building material & garden supply stores Other professional & technical services and the airport designated and transformed with Hospitals 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 appropriate zoning and design standards and upgraded SOURCE: RI DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & TRAINING, QUARTERLY CENSUS OF EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES infrastructure and appearance. at all four corners at the intersection with Imera Avenue. Another priority area for high-visibility, high-value development is the section of Coronado FRAMEWORK PLAN Road between Imera and Post Road. To improve This conceptual framework indicates the approaches walkability, parking lots and structures should to new development and infrastructure investments be screened from view from major streets, and that will maximize opportunity in the District. Central streetscape elements such as sidewalks and street to the plan is focusing high-visibility, high-value new trees should be improved throughout the District. development and streetscape improvements along 26 Locate parking Fullerton from Post Road toward the InterLink, with Build new landmark areas away from emphasis on concentrating retail and otherProvide uses multifamily buildings as a major pedestrian routes and screen Introduce street housing as an district gateway them from view Promote trees and appropriate COTTAGE ST. pedestrian-friendly ground-level transition of use and scale to existing MASTER PLAN MASTER streetscapes to plantings in | encourage walking significant numbers neighborhood throughout District along Jefferson Boulevard T KILVERT ST. LEVITON RIC alk T w e IS t k RECOMMENDED EXPANSION nu Dal i w OF INTERMODAL DISTRICT THURBER ST. -m te 5 Nnu / i e O-m il I 5 m / - Tle JEFFERSON BLVD. 4 i / A-m 1 4 / V1 O WARWICK INTERLINK N D A D’AMBRA PROPERTY O R N I O D A N INTERMODAL O R DISTRICT O C P PLAN MASTER DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STATION WARWICK GLENHAM AVE. P P C.S.O. I M E R A AV E . KILVERT ST. MONTEBELLO RD. GATEWAY VANDERBILT RD. DISTRICT SKYWALK ALHAMBRA RD. SOUTH FULLERTON RD. P O S T R O A D GATEWAY Cluster retail and DISTRICT NORTH Encourage a mix entertainment uses T.F. GREEN of uses on in walkable areas AIRPORT parcels south of skywalk Encourage Locate tallest Coordinate future residential uses LEGEND buildings and development with near Hillsgrove high-visibility uses Primary redevelopment opportunities anticipated North neighborhood along Post, connection to Principal street access corridors Fullerton and skywalk Priority locations for prominent, Coronado roads high-value development Priority locations for pedestrian-oriented retail N P Recommended locations for shared parking 8 Economic Development FROM A WARWICK RESIDENT “Warwick is blessed with many excellent assets and business development opportunities for future growth.” 8.1 CITY OF WARWICK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2013–2033 PART IV | CHAPTER 8 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A GOALS AND POLICIES GOALS POLICIES FOR DECISION MAKERS Attract and retain businesses in • Implement plans for the City Centre Warwick, a new innovation dis- key existing and emerging eco- trict near I-95, and enhancement of the Bald Hill Road corridor. nomic base industries. • Identify target industries and strategically target marketing, development incentives, and land use policies to attract and retain businesses in these industries. • Implement land use policies that support a diversity of industries and promote a strong, stable tax base. • Work to retain traditional industries that remain economically viable and have played an important role in the city’s historical development. • Invest in public infrastructure to catalyze private development. • Engage in public-private partnerships to stimulate suitable forms of development and redevelopment on key sites. • Promote Warwick’s quality of life as an economic asset. Preserve and strengthen neighbor- • Incorporate neighborhood-based commercial development into the hood retail districts that enhance neighborhood planning process. the quality of life in the city’s neighborhoods. • Support the development and sustainability of locally-owned businesses. • Invest in public infrastructure to catalyze private development. • Provide incentives for property improvements. Improve the business environment. • Increase responsiveness to business concerns. • Streamline business regulatory processes. Increase access to high-quality • Strengthen coordination between economic development and work- employment opportunities for force development. Warwick residents. 8.2 CITY OF WARWICK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2013–2033 PART IV | CHAPTER 8 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT B FINDINGS AND CHALLENGES While Warwick experienced moderate job growth The unemployment rate for Warwick residents has in the early part of the last decade, employment remained consistently, if only slightly, below the declined considerably between 2006 and 2010, state average during the past decade. However, faster than both the state and the nation. after starting the decade below the national average, local unemployment surpassed the national Warwick has a relatively high share of jobs in low- rate in 2007 and remained above it through 2010. to moderate-wage industries, translating into a relatively low average wage. Among industries, Warwick residents are most likely to be employed in health care and social Warwick’s most important primary industry sectors assistance, retail trade, manufacturing, educational are health care and social assistance, retail trade, services, finance and insurance, and accommoda- findings and accommodation and food services. tion and food services. Most of the city’s primary industry sectors have Among occupations, Warwick residents are most experienced job loss during the past decade, likely to be employed in relatively high-paying pro- with only three, health care and social assistance, fessional, management, and business and financial professional and technical services, and private operations occupations, and middle-paying office educational services, experiencing growth. and administrative support. Smaller numbers are employed in blue collar occupations and low-wage Compared to the state and the nation, Warwick service occupations. has high concentrations of employment relative to total employment in transportation and warehous- Warwick residents tend to be relatively highly edu- ing, real estate and rental and leasing, retail trade, cated, with a higher proportion having obtained management of companies and enterprises (e.g., a post-secondary degree than their state and national or regional corporate headquarters), and national counterparts. Younger residents have sig- finance and insurance. This suggests that it main- nificantly higher levels of educational attainment tains a competitive advantage as a location for than older residents, making them well positioned firms in these industry sectors. While Warwick shed to compete for high-skill, high-wage jobs. jobs in all of these sectors during the past decade, real estate and rental and leasing, management The relatively high education levels of Warwick res- of companies and enterprises, and finance and idents are reflected in their relatively high incomes. insurance declined at a slower pace than overall Warwick residents earn more than their counter- employment, indicating that they may be better parts at both the state and national levels and are positioned to rebound as the general economy much less likely to live below the poverty line. improves. Warwick has

Load more