ToadScoper

ToadScoper OP t1_ituvznd wrote

I personally think Wickford Junction serves as a good case study for transit non-development; rather, the "build it and they will come" mentality for transit stations does not work if there are no conditions for building dense, mixed-use transit-oriented development surrounding transit centers (this applies to adequate zoning conditions as well). Additionally, Wickford Junction originally opened with no intermodal connections to RIPTA (which is insane) and contained a hilariously large parking garage that has never been full once. Ultimately, the station was not designed by transit planners- it was designed by clueless politicians who wanted to cut the ribbon for a big capital project. Fortunately, the new Pawtucket-Central Falls station seems to be getting a lot right that Wickford Junction got completely wrong. I think a Wickford MBTA station could have worked if the station structure itself was scaled back along with better direction from a transit-oriented perspective.

38

ToadScoper OP t1_ir5wdln wrote

Your missing the point… the owners are completely responsible for why nothing has been done with it in the first place- they sat on the property for over a decade and never started development (by extension the town of Barrington failed to do anything about it). The original plan was to use the mansion and the land surrounding the former Barrington college campus structures for housing. The adaptive reuse of historic structures is nothing new and is done all the time, and would be the optimal solution for Belton.

16

ToadScoper OP t1_ir5jxsv wrote

For those who want further context- ShineHarmony LLC (the current owners of Belton) has broken many promises regarding the preservation and rehabilitation of the mansion. Unfortunately, the estate does not have protections against demolition by private owners even though it's on the NRHP; this is mainly due to the fact the mansion does not currently reside in a designated historic district. Please spread the word about Belton Court, it's going to take a lot of people to ensure Rhode Island does not lose this seldom-known historic treasure!

18