A political year unlike any before it in Woonsocket

During the city’s Autumnfest celebration, critics of the move to remove Baldelli-Hunt for charter violations were plentiful, while supporters of the removal hearings were hard to find, a seeming indicator of what was to come with the people’s vote.

Baldelli-Hunt now has a council full of allies, outside of Ward, and her ability to hold that majority will be pivotal going forward on her plans for the city which she says were long obstructed by the previous council.

One of those initiatives is the development of a recreation complex at Cass Park, which the new council gave its approval to in the days leading up to Christmas, paid for in part by excess gravel sold by the city. The mayor is also hoping to attract a new grocery store to be developed at Barry Field, a location that’s drawn criticism from her detractors.

Outside of politics, Woonsocket also started to see the “good problem” that many have wished for years: so much new business and redevelopment activity on Main Street that parking is starting to become an issue. Designated parking and a renewed look at parking space size requirements are likely to remain points of debate in 2023, as will the ongoing issue of what to do with the city’s wastewater treatment facility, which continues to emit foul odors despite many steps to address the stench over the years. Public Works Director Steve D’Agostino has called for a closed-door session about the facility, saying that issues likely go much deeper than the stink.

Tax issues and what officials might do about discrepancies with values on multi-family homes, which caused substantial increases for property owners last year, will also surely be a key point of discussion during 2023 budget talks.

Though many residents struggled with the lingering financial impacts from the pandemic and aftermath, from rising fuel and food costs to a spike in rental costs, they still found ways to give back. The Rotary’s clothing drives and Autumnfest Grand Marshal Jeanne Michon’s cooking for the hungry were two of many efforts that Woonsocket residents again spearheaded in 2022.

Here are some of our top storylines for 2022:

Inauguration ushers in new era

Baldelli-Hunt was sworn back into office on Dec. 6 with a standing ovation alongside her newly elected allies, closing a contentious chapter that many in the city said they wanted to end.

Council Vice President Valerie Gonzalez told The Breeze she wasn’t surprised about the shake-up that led to three councilors losing their seats, as she was getting feedback from residents and could tell they were angry about the proceedings.

During the inauguration, Baldelli-Hunt said she looked forward to having civil meetings with respectful dialogue, moving forward with projects that have been held up and doing the work of the people.

During the council’s organizational meeting that night, the mayor told the crowd she added a resolution to create a Charter Review Commission after hearing from residents during election season, saying she wants to make sure no mayor of the city “can ever be removed from office by five people when thousands of residents have chosen who they want to lead, so your voices will never be silenced, and your vote will never be stripped again.”

She told the crowd that the city of Woonsocket spoke loud and clear, and that they wanted different leadership going into 2023.

Council President Chris Beauchamp said he was looking forward to getting things done, while Councilor John Ward, who had voted to oust the mayor in September, expressed his interest in working with the newly elected council, saying he held no ill feelings toward anyone.

Tax bill problems linger

The City Council’s reluctant decision in early December to approve family health benefits for part-time Tax Assessor Elise Pare, despite her not showing up for a meeting to consider tax appeals, marked another chapter in the year-long saga over a property tax revaluation that frustrated owners of multi-family homes.

Officials never sorted out the issues that led to huge increases for such properties, and have said there isn’t a lot they can do until the next revaluation. The turnover and continued lack of dependability in the assessor’s office will continue to be a problem going forward unless officials can resolve apparent deep-seated problems there.

Main Street comeback

This year also marked the continued growth of Main Street, a storyline once seen as farfetched as Main Streets across the country continue to die off. Councilor Garrett Mancieri says many projects are underway going into the new year. Bernon Mills, which was approved under a $25 million plan back in January, has some of its 60 residential units built, while Island Place Historic District, next to the Museum of Work and Culture, is planned for new housing.

Along with The Call building, Les Przybylko and his partners are currently redeveloping the former CYO headquarters at 77 Federal St., which was purchased for $330,000 and will also be turned into residential apartments. The Lops Brewing building 122 North Main St., is housing many residents, and 43 Railroad St. is also following a similar path to mixed-use spaces.

The WHCDC presented its final findings from a year’s worth of meetings on a $500 million plan to revitalize downtown Woonsocket, making it a trendy place centered on city history with a story to tell. There are significant questions about whether the project will ever come to be.

Outside of Main Street, other projects are bringing people outside of Woonsocket. The former Ballou Home, which used to be a senior living community, will now be a 21-unit condo complex known as The Residences at Mendon. Nexus Property Management purchased Sacred Heart Church on Olo Street for a little more than $500,000 to transform the church into 32 residential apartments, and is also, as The Breeze reports this week, looking into acquiring the Rhode Island Hospital Trust Building across from City Hall.

The former middle school at 357 Park Place was sold for $1 million in late October, as announced by interim Mayor Dan Gendron, and will be converted into market rate housing units.

Mancieri says he’s excited about what’s been happening in the city on the development front, and plans to continue having conversations with people about staying in the city.

City remembers Mayor Menard

The discovery of the bodies of former Mayor Susan Menard and her partner Daniel Grabowski shocked the city, with condolences and efforts to honor her pouring in for months afterward.

Councilor Roger Jalette put forth a resolution for the street signs near the Woonsocket schools to be dedicated to Menard, similar to how Garrett Mancieri offered a resolution in 2015 to rename the two middle schools in the former mayor’s honor, saying the schools were her greatest contribution to the city. The medical examiner ruled that both Menard and Grabowski died from long-time health complications.

Menard, also a former School Committee and City Council member, became mayor in 1995 and served 14 years as top city executive before leaving office in 2009. Her friend John Dionne was among those who remembered her as a strong and generous leader.

New investments in the arts

Beacon Center for the Arts purchased the First United Methodist Church after receiving a grant from the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts, one of numerous moves by organizations and businesses to open, expand, or make plans to open and expand in 2022.

According to the Supt. Michael Skeldon, the former Methodist church will hold a 250-plus-seat theater upstairs, as well as a state-of-the-art culinary hub and gallery space on the lower level. They are currently undertaking a feasibility study to see how successful a culinary hub would be in the basement.

The well-known Stadium Theatre made extensive upgrades to its building including new dressing rooms, office and classroom spaces, rehearsal areas, and other amenities for actors and actresses.

Autumnfest lives

When it was reported in the spring that the Rotary would no longer be part of Autumnfest, ending its longstanding partnership, some wondered whether Autumnfest could continue.

But, as reported by The Breeze each step of the way, the Steering Committee kept everything going, making some additions that proved popular such as the Harvest Garden. The event was another big hit, and the committee feels it can last well into the future.