Start Date
06/13/2025
End Date
06/13/2025
Description
Sims Avenue has been a site of great transformation and investment generated by The Woonasquatucket Vision Plan, including brownfield remediation to construct Farm Fresh RI in addition to a new pedestrian bridge, kayak launch, and pocket park. Lining Sims Avenue, Farm Fresh, The Steel Yard, the Industrious Spirit Company (ISCO), and 50 Sims create a dynamic destination for the evolving Valley Arts District. This tour will explore how Scout, a design and development practice, has transformed the 113,000 square foot manufacturing facility of 50 Sims into a hub for makers, small scale production, and workforce development. You will have the opportunity to meet tenants and learn about the creative development approach at 50 Sims. The tour will also travel to the surrounding locations of Farm Fresh, The Steel Yard, and Lit Arts to see how 50 Sims fits into the wider context of a district dedicated to shared prosperity. This tour will finish with a happy hour finale at Buttonwoods Brewery.
Location
Providence, RI
Distance Learning
No
Course Equivalency
No
Subjects
Remediation / Brownfields
Urban Planning & Design
Health, Safety and Welfare
Yes
Hours
3.50
Learning Outcomes
1. Explain the process of the adaptive reuse of a large manufacturing facility into a thriving innovation hub for makers, small-scale production, and workforce development.
2. Discuss how local businesses and organizations along Sims Avenue contribute to the economic, industrial, and creative vitality of the district.
3. Describe the process of community engagement to ensure that affordability and industrial character was maintained; fostering innovation and shared prosperity.
4. Describe how 50 Sims integrates into the broader Valley Arts District portion of the Woonasquatucket Vision Plan (2018), calling for collaborative economic and cultural development to strengthen both environmental and social resilience.
Instructors
Lindsey Scannapieco, Managing Partner, Scout
Course Codes
CNU33T33
Provider
Congress for the New Urbanism