Community leaders including Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza, Lt. Governor Matos, and other community leaders were given a first look at the rehabilitation of Paragon Mill Tuesday.
The mill was once on Providence’s most endangered list. The mill will soon offer 101 units of affordable and workforce housing.
“I’ve seen over the years how it has been blighted, it’s been forgotten,” said Mayor Elorza. “To see it come together, to see it renewed like this, it’s really special. This is going to be a big boom for the entire neighborhood and by extension, the entire city.”
The Paragon Mill produced wool for 60 years, beginning in 1898. Powered by the Woonasquatucket River, it ceased operations in the 1960s. The Alexander Company, a real estate development company leading the construction, will develop 44 affordable housing units and 57 workforce housing units.
Lt. Governor Sabina Matos, who used to represent the Olneyville area on the Providence City Council, explained, “It’s actually been very emotion to be here in the building. One of the things I was always worried about was that one day this building would be up in flames. I’m so happy that we’re saving the building and making it a part of the community.”
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This article was originally published by ABC 6 News.
