$2.71M in Brownfields Grant Awards

$2.71M in Brownfields Grant Awards

Published on Wednesday, September 17, 2025

PROVIDENCE, RI - The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has awarded $2.71 million in grants through the Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development Fundto support the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites across the state. Ten projects in four cities and towns will receive funding, made possible by the voter-approved 2022 and 2024 Green Bondand unspent funds from previous grant rounds. Nine of the ten projects are located in Environmental Justice(EJ) focus areas and are expected to create 682 construction jobs and 453 permanent jobs. Collectively, the projects will unlock $130 million in additional investments and promote smart growth by reclaiming valuable real estate. Redevelopment reduces environmental and public health risks, while also creating jobs, supporting small businesses, and revitalizing communities.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for the cleaned up and renovated Pierce Park in Central Falls. Supported by a $380,393 Brownfield Bond Grant award, this project allowed the park to be reopened in 2024 for use by youth leagues, families, and the local community. Credit: City of Central Falls.

"Rhode Island continues to make progress cleaning up contaminated industrial sites and converting them into prime real estate, helping ensure a cleaner future for our communities and environment," said Governor Dan McKee. "These grant awards will help continue our momentum in redeveloping these sites."

"Brownfields grants can have a transformative effect on our communities, underscoring the power of the green bonds that finance them," said DEM Director Terry Gray. "These investments in the cleanup of sites across the state have helped build new schools, businesses, affordable housing, and green energy projects."

Project Summaries

Project: Main Street Plaza

Address: Main Street, Pawtucket

Grant: $290,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: The City of Pawtucket will redevelop this vacant plaza located within an EJ focus area to encourage pedestrian access and economic development. The grant will fund environmental remediation and an engineered environmental cap. Once completed, the plaza will become a public amenity to the 30-40 small business surrounding the central space, attract new business and residents to the downtown area.

Project: Nexus Holdings

Address: 49 North Union Street, Pawtucket

Grant: $265,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: Nexus Holdings will revitalize the mostly vacant and deteriorated mill building within the Downtown Pawtucket Historic District into a mixed-use complex with 23 loft-style residential apartments and a commercial revitalization initiative. The grant will support the remediation of the site and hazardous building material abatement. The redevelopment project will support walkability and job creation.

Project: Dexter Street Commons II

Address: 71 Dexter Street, Pawtucket

Grant: $300,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: Located in the Conant Thread District near the Pawtucket/Central Falls Commuter Rail Station, the project will result in a 160,400 sq. ft., six-story building that includes ground level retail space, 150 residential units (20% affordable workforce housing), and 85 parking spaces. Brownfield grant funding will support the completion of the engineered barrier at the site, key to turning this former industrial property into a community asset.

Project: Atlantic Mills

Address: 120 Manton Avenue, Providence

Grant: $200,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: The redevelopment plans for this historic mill building located along the Woonasquatucket River in Providence will maintain current uses, providing affordable commercial space for small businesses, artists, and the popular flea market. Grant funds will support the remediation of site soils, including soil excavation and capping, design and installation of a sub-slab vapor mitigation system, and groundwater monitoring.

Project: 413 Roosevelt Ave

Address: 413 Roosevelt Ave, Central Falls

Grant: $150,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: The project will rehabilitate a blighted, vacant mill building in an EJ area, converting it into 500 self-storage units. Grant funding will support the installation of a vapor barrier beneath the historic building and the construction of a protective cap to eliminate the exposure to contaminated soils.

Project: Paddock Project

Address: 651 Narragansett Park Drive, Pawtucket

Grant: $400,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: A vacant lot will be developed into eight buildings of mixed units to create a community for adults with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and provide housing for low to moderate income ranges. Remedial work funded through this grant will include soil excavation and off-site disposal, capping of any remaining impacted soils, and institutional controls.

Project: Broad Street Homes

Address: 509 Broad Street, Central Falls

Grant: $100,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: One Neighborhood Builders will renovate the former Central Falls Police Station into 17 affordable housing apartments, including three handicap accessible units. Grant funds will support hazardous building material abatement and the removal and capping of impacted soils. ONB will employ workers from local trade unions in construction and provide training opportunities for trade workers.

Project: Jorge Alvarez H.S. / Gorham Textron

Address: 375 Adelaide Avenue, Providence

Grant: $400,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: Jorge Alvarez High School is located on the historic Gorham/Textron Site and serves a diverse community. Much of the subsurface contamination has already been remediated and/or removed from the site. The high school is equipped with an active sub-slab depressurization system and an air monitoring program, which recently indicated that system upgrades and a protective soil vapor extraction system along the eastern property line will ensure that offsite disturbances don't impact the high school's air quality. Brownfield grant funding will alleviate some of this cost, saving taxpayers money and minimizing impacts to PPSD's budget while continuing to ensure that the indoor air at the school is safe for the students, staff, and community that uses the building.

Project: Potter Hill Mill

Address: 198 Potter Hill Road, Westerly

Grant: $300,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: The dilapidated remains of the former three-story textile mill with accessory buildings and deteriorating millrace structures along the Pawcatuck River will be redeveloped through recreational, ecological, and historical restoration work. Remedial work supported by this grant includes soil excavation and off-site disposal, capping remaining impacted soils, and institutional controls. Open space and passive recreational amenities including a boat launch, kayak rack, and picnic tables will provide recreational improvements to public access, while improving river connectivity will also benefit passive boaters navigating the lower Pawcatuck River.

Project: Jenks Park

Address: 602 Broad Street, Central Falls

Grant: $300,000 remediation/redevelopment

Description: The redevelopment of Jenks Park, located within EJ area, will provide a playground for families, spaces for active and passive recreation, and an amphitheater space where the community can gather for events, concerts, farmers market, food trucks. Grant funding will support the remediation of the area of the park covered by the amphitheater, and will include soil management activities, off-site shipment of excess soils, and the development of a cap.

DEM anticipates holding the next competitive grant round in 2026 for $3M in remaining grant funding.

For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit https://www.dem.ri.gov. Follow DEM on Facebook, Twitter (@RhodeIslandDEM), or Instagram (@rhodeisland.dem) for timely updates.