Op Ed: The Elephant Doesn’t Sit Alone

We were at Roger Williams Park Zoo recently, and my grandson said to me, “Do you know where the elephant sits?” I responded, “Anywhere he wants!”

I then took it as a teaching moment and explained that hopefully the giant elephant recognizing how large he had become would be thoughtful and wouldn’t sit where he would damage a child, or a house, or a tree that gave him shade. Even though the elephant is such a dominating animal, he must realize that he is part of a greater community that is much bigger than he is!

Brown University is Providence’s elephant. They are good providers of the jobs they offer and the student (and parent) dollars they inject into our city. Being an Ivy League school adds some cachet, and they do bring a lot to the city.

And, while the elephant at the zoo recognizes that he is part of a much larger community, Brown’s interpretation more often not is that ‘Providence is part of the Brown community’ and they act accordingly. While Brown does contribute to the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program with the city, they exacted excessive ‘revenue’ givebacks in the form of streets and free parking. (Streets, we note, that they made little effort to clear during the two recent winter storms.) Now, with Lifespan rebranded to Brown University Health, the next negotiation will be even more critical. As it is in the city’s interest to see that Brown does well, it cannot be a one-way street. Why Brown isn’t willing to grasp this is anyone’s guess.

The latest issue concerns four houses on Brook Street that Brown wants to tear down to make way for a new economics building. While the buildings are old, they are non-distinctive and have been virtually unnoticed low-end student rentals for years. Brown’s lack of maintenance caused a bit of an issue a while back. They are located across the street from where Louis’ used to be and complement the fare and clientele quite well.

Neighbors a block away started the opposition, followed by Councilman John Goncalves, who saw a PR opportunity, only to be eviscerated by the Brown Daily Herald editorial board, who called his comments ‘misleading’ and ‘twisted’. A progressive mayoral challenger then called for the city to take the houses by eminent domain, a near impossibility, but got media attention. The Providence Preservation Society weighed in with a long missive addressing Brown’s approach to development, pointing out that the university has torn down 150 properties in the last 76 years. The quilt that defined the Brown area of College Hill has been mostly reduced to threads as it has been institutionalized.

We have a solid record of criticizing almost all of Brown’s new buildings, and we are certainly not alone, but in this case, we would like to try to be more constructive and positive.

Brown’s Economics Department rightfully deserves a new home. The department is considered one of the top 10 in the nation, especially in development economics, econometrics, and applied microeconomics, and counts former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen as a notable alum. Our thought was that it would solve multiple issues for the university and stave off the wrecking ball... at least temporarily. Parking remains an issue for both the Brown community, businesses, and neighbors. Why not build a large and much overdue campus parking garage and then top it off with several stories that could provide more than enough space for the entire new Department of Economics the school deserves?

There are even three perfectly obvious locations. First is the vacant land between the new Lindemann Performing Arts Center on Angell Street. This could be a signature space like the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship on Thayer Street. The views would be terrific, and there would be a tremendously positive impact all around. Second is on the Hope Street side of the Aldrich-Dexter complex, where parking is already desperately needed. And third, if Brown really wants to think outside the box, it could be a signature building on Pembroke Field (between Hope and Thayer), with a parking structure housing the economics department and a field on the roof.

Brown needs to be more thoughtful and transparent about their expansion plans with their neighbors and the city. Bottom line: We hope that the elephant will sit at the table with neighbors and the city. We’ll spring for the peanuts!