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Councilor raises renewed objections to tax-stabilization for 1 Moshassik Street; public letters filed
Summary
Councilor Gregor urged the council to recommend mayoral rescission of a 20-year tax-stabilization agreement for Blackstone Distribution at 1 Moshassik Street, citing prolonged site neglect, dust and safety concerns; the council scheduled further discussion for Aug. 8 and accepted public communications.
Councilor Gregor used the July 9 meeting to press the council and administration over a 20-year tax-stabilization agreement for Blackstone Distribution’s project at 1 Moshassik Street, saying prolonged site work and perceived public-health and safety issues have harmed the adjacent Woodlawn neighborhood and calling for further review ahead of an August 8 docketed item.
Gregor said residents have reported dust, exposed demolition areas and a deteriorated site perimeter that, he said, exposed the neighborhood to airborne contaminants for more than two years. He urged the council to recommend that the mayor rescind the tax-stabilization agreement or otherwise require the developer to meet commitments. “We continue to be exposed to airborne contaminants. I live within the block of the site. My children are being contaminated with the, airborne dust particles,” Gregor said in a lengthy floor statement.
The council acknowledged written public-input communications that were on file: letters from Greg Garrett (Friends of the [park], Providence), Cameron Segala (Pawtucket resident), Adam Greenman (Pawtucket resident), Janine Silversmith (executive director, Rhode Island Environmental Education Association), and another from Matty Weed concerning Harmony Dog Kennel. Councilor Gregor thanked the authors for submitting concerns that echo neighborhood opposition to the scope and timeline of the proposed development.
Other council members noted tax-stabilization agreements (TSAs) are sometimes necessary to attract major projects and that timelines can shift for reasons including financing and supply chains. Councilor Willdan (former property committee chair) said some past TSAs that encountered delays ultimately produced taxable development and jobs, citing Dexter Commons as an example that generated substantial tax revenue after construction completed.
Gregor said the issue goes beyond delay to alleged mismanagement and public-safety exposure during demolition and site work. He asked the city solicitor and zoning director to prepare to explain the TSA’s terms and the permitting and remediation steps taken; the council planned to take up the item again on Aug. 8 and invited additional public comment.
No vote to rescind the TSA occurred July 9. The council’s next steps include hearing from zoning staff and city legal counsel and further public input at the August 8 meeting. Councilors said that if a developer fails to meet conditions by the agreed deadlines, subsequent council action, including recommendations to rescind benefits, could be considered under the terms of the TSA and municipal code.
