Providence Special Committee on HOPE-Wednesday, September 17, 2025-5:30 PM
Call to Order and Roll Call
Chairman Juan Pichardo called the Committee on Health, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Education (HOPE) to order. The assistant clerk conducted a roll call, confirming three members present and two absent to establish a quorum.
Recognition of Officials and Staff
Chairman Pichardo recognized various committee members, clerks, and legal counsel present for the meeting. He thanked them for their attendance and support of the committee's work.
Reading of Resolution on Gilbert Stuart and Lima Project
The committee clerk read a comprehensive resolution calling for transparency, accountability, and a temporary halt to demolition at the Gilbert Stuart School site. The resolution outlines community concerns regarding the preservation of the historic building and requests outstanding documentation from the city administration.
Introduction and Swearing-In of Administration Officials
Chairman Pichardo introduced the context of the school merger and the need for timely information and community trust. Chief Operating Officer Courtney Hawkins, Deputy Superintendent Zachary Scott, and Chief Operations Officer Mario Carreno were sworn in to provide testimony.
Discussion on Gilbert Stuart and Lima School Project
Administration and school department officials presented a fact sheet detailing the project's history, financial implications of delays, and the feasibility of preserving the historic structure. Committee members and officials debated the adequacy of community engagement, the timeline for demolition, and plans for preserving the school's historical legacy.
Public Comment
A community member, Rochelle, shared passionate feedback regarding the historical value of the Gilbert Stuart building and criticized the decision-making process. She emphasized the need for genuine community engagement and preservation of neighborhood assets.
Motion to Continue and Adjournment
The committee voted to enter the administration's fact sheet into the record and approved a motion to continue the resolution. Following the vote, Chairman Pichardo adjourned the meeting.
Speaker 0
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Good evening. I'd like to call the committee especially committee on health opportunity, prosperity, and education, known as Hope, to order for Wednesday, 09/17/2025. I'm put. Any, please? Vote of vote.
Speaker 1
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Chairman Juan Pachado?
Speaker 0
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Present.
Speaker 1
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Vice chairman, Shelly Peterson? Present. Consular Sue Ganapo is absent. Consular Justin Warriors is absent. Consular Miguel Sanchez?
Speaker 1
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Present. We have three present, two absent. We have a problem.
Speaker 0
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Thank you, assistant clerk. I also would like to recognize for being here. He's a Thank you. Committees including finance and. So thanks for taking here.
Speaker 0
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Also like to recognize Tina Maswana, the clerk, mister chief of. Tyler Clouder, assistant clerk and attorney Arias Teddy Perry. Thank you for being here. Today, we're here to consider the resolution on transparency and accountability for the Gilbert Stuart and Lima project. As we know, this is a major investment in the West End, South Side, and with that comes a responsibility to ensure that our residents are fully informed and included in a new school.
Speaker 0
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And the new school might be more than just a building. It has to be a foundation built on trust. I know that the resolution is quite long, but I do wanna have a record if we can run with numbers, if the clerk can read the the resolution.
Speaker 2
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Whereas the Providence City Council has a duty to see that school construction projects place children first, ensuring that every new building strengthens learning and honors the trust of the community. And whereas the planned merger of Gilbert Stuart and Alfred Lima into a new pre k through eighth grade dual language academy may offer an opportunity to reimagine learning on the Elmwood Southside, expanding access to bilingual education while providing families with a high quality facility that meets twenty first century learning needs. And whereas, at the same time, the Gilbert Stuart building holds deep historical and cultural meaning for the surrounding community, and the council affirms that preserving architectural legacy wherever feasible must remain a priority in any redevelopment. And whereas council president Pro Tempur, Juan M. Pichardo, at the inception of this project dating back to 2023, requested that, one, the PPSD and city engage residents in a meaningful way the desires for the school into the planning process, and, two, that planning incorporate an analysis of the feasibility of preserving and incorporating elements of the existing architecture into the design of the new school.
Speaker 2
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And whereas it appears that all members of the school planning committee may not have been provided with these same items that we have requested to enable analysis, deliberation, and decision making to determine if the proposed course of action constitutes the best use of funds for this project and hindering the ability of the public and city council to closely follow the project and provide informed and timely input. And whereas following an 08/14/2025 community meeting on the South Side in which a commitment was made to provide the analysis by three architect firms supporting the determination that no portion of the existing school's architecture could be preserved and incorporated into the new school design, the council and the community members to which it was promised has not been received as of the drafting of this resolution. And whereas council president Pro Tempur, Juan M. Picciardo, by letter dated 08/20/2025, formally requested from city administration specific documents and clarifications relating to the planned demolition and reconstruction at the Gilbert Stuart School site, including but not limited to preservation cost analysis, demolition and abatement plans, project controls, comparative assessments, design schedules, and historic preservation approvals. And whereas despite these repeated requests, only a limited portion of the requested materials has been provided, and the administration has instead relied primarily on verbal assurances rather than the clear written documentation for council oversight and public confidence.
Speaker 2
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And whereas, time is of the essence to receive this documentation to ensure sufficient time for oversight input and enable the city to receive the maximum reimbursement from the state allowable. And whereas this lack of timely and incomplete responses has raised significant concerns among constituents, community stakeholders, and members of the council regarding whether due diligence has been exercised and whether this project represents the best possible use of public funds. And whereas the proposed plan of action by the administration and project manager would demolish the existing structure before a final design is completed and accepted, and a reliable cost estimate is completed based on that proposed final design in order to ensure that the new design would fit within the budget available for this project. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Providence City Council calls upon the city administration and its partners to pro promptly provide all outstanding documents and clarifications relating to the Gilbert Stuart Alfred Lima School Project to the city council office of project management and to all members of the school building committee in order to ensure meaningful review by both the council and the community and be it further resolved that the council called upon the administration to involve all demolition activities at the Gilbert Stuart site with the exception of remediation of materials and pest control activities so long as they will not in any way damage the structural integrity of the building until such review has taken place so the project moves forward with public confidence and a clear commitment to delivering a school worthy of its students and the neighborhood.
Speaker 2
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And be it further resolved that should the administration believe that the halting of all demolition activities at the Gilbert Stuart site as described above could not be done without jeopardizing the maximum reimbursement rate from the state for this project, it shall immediately present evidence of this in a public hearing and to request an amendment to this order. Such hearing must include evidence that city is in compliance with all state laws and regulations filing and notifications to all to all requisite state entities, including but not limited to RIDE, r I d o h, r I d e m, and the Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission, and be it further resolved that the city council calls upon the administration to provide the documentation and answers previously requested by President Pro Tempur Juan M. Picciardo as summarized in his letter dated 08/20/2025 to ensure sufficient time for oversight and input and to not jeopardize the city's ability to receive the maximum reimbursement from the state allowable for this project. And upon passage, a copy of this resolution be sent to mayor Brett Smiley, Courtney Hawkins, COO, Javier Montagna, superintendent of PPSD, Zachary Scott, PPSD, deputy superintendent of operations, Angelica Infante Green, Rye commissioner, Drew Peckelson, Rye deputy commissioner for systems transformation, Joseph DeSantis, director of program management, Downs Construction, and Providence School Building Committee.
Speaker 0
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Thank you, Thank you. I also just wanted to say that the merger of the school, Gilbert Stuart and Lima, transforming into a pre K to to a language school has the potential to provide a modern twenty first century learning facility. This project is is a sounds that we have financial some financial investment to our city. And through this process, I've discovered many, many laws that I think that we need to and I I talked to the committee and knowledge to improve the process of providing documentation, the appropriate documentation, timely documentation for us to provide oversight and also decision making at the level of the city council, but also in the community. Many residents as I've came across have expressed real concerns, not just about the construction process, but but also about the pre K model itself.
Speaker 0
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The school department hasn't given the council a clear rationale for this, approach, as per the, some of the, community members, but perhaps even for us at this, city council, we we it's for us to hear, today about that model. But, also, to hear about the project and the advantages and and what has been the challenges, the state reimbursement, which we fall into, and points that have been highlighted throughout this process. These benefits are important to the city, but they must not come at the expense of our community's voice and and confidence and and and also to make sure that the assurance to and to this pathway represents the best use of funds. At the at the end, it's it's to build the confidence for our residents in our neighborhoods, but also for us as decision makers. I want to acknowledge the fact that we have after we put the resolution in, a lot of most of the information has to come forward from the PTSD and also the administration.
Speaker 0
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And today, we're here just to hear from them some of that information that they provided and and and provide some answers to the resolution. But, also, there were some other items that were still missing. So some of that was about the design plans for the new building, a schedule when those plans will be available and how the public will be able to give input, a detailed construction schedule once the demolition is complete. And so at this time, we have a couple of people that are present to walk us through this process about the what it was the Illinois School. And, also, as I've spoken to a couple of the members of the city council, we're all facing some challenges when it comes to getting information in a in an adequate time for us to make critical decisions.
Speaker 0
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I'd like to recognize, first, the chief of operating officer for the administration of the city of province, Courtney Hawkins. Also, from PPSD, the chief of operation deputy superintendent of operations, Zachary Scott. And I also see Mario If you like to talk to them up. Swear I'm reading. Sorry.
Speaker 2
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Hands. You swear I'm under penalty of perjury that
Speaker 1
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the testimony you're about to give
Speaker 2
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is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Speaker 1
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Yes. Please state your names and titles for the record. What happened, CEO?
Speaker 3
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Zach Scott, JP's superintendent. Morator, chief operations officer.
Speaker 4
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Thank you.
Speaker 0
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Thank you. Appreciate you being here and also the colleagues that are here. I know we've had several communication growth, a month, a month and a half also, you know, intensely, and especially with several a couple of community meetings. And so today is an opportunity to walk us through this project. And I know Courtney, miss Hawkins, is no stranger to this.
Speaker 0
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And so if you can just walk us through in the sense of the resolution, but also what has been some of the questions or concerns and also suggestion that you've heard, but also in the community. Sure. Thank you.
Speaker 1
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I'm gonna actually let Doctor. Correno run through the history of this because he's been around for all of it and has the facts laid out. I just wanted to start by acknowledging your point on request for information. My understanding is we've submitted everything. The design and schedule is pending because there's community engagement that needs to happen on the design of the new building.
Speaker 1
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This has been consistent with lots of our school buildings where we start demolition and work on community engagement. The scheduling of that meeting is actually pending their office program. I'm waiting for dates for you and counselor Taylor. If we don't get them, we'll proceed without that, but our hope was that we could coordinate that together. We have proposed designs that we'd like to put in front of the community's teachers, families, and neighbors to get feedback before the adult.
Speaker 1
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So with that, I'll turn it over to Doctor. Crane, and I hope he'll run us through the history here.
Speaker 0
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Thank you, chief. Thanks.
Speaker 5
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Thank you, mister chairman, members of the city council. Madam chair, I'd
Speaker 0
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like to submit
Speaker 5
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this report. And and, mister chairman, I agree that in general, we should always strive for continuous improvement. So I think every opportunity can be helped, not just in the process here, but in general. So I think if there's things that we can do better, we will absolutely strive to do so. I think we have several examples for other projects throughout the city, one being the RFK project with Councilor Wilming Peterson and mister John Ryan where, like, we can we keep tweaking and we keep learning, and I think those are being very successful.
Speaker 5
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And the hope with this project is that we will have the same outcome. I think it's useful just to start with some facts. Some of these were meant to respond to the resolution just to help perhaps answer any uncertainty or ambiguity that that pertains with this project. So these are merely facts. These are grouped by local approvals, engagement opportunities.
Speaker 5
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And then the last piece, which I think is critical, which is a direct response to resolution is what would any financial implications be? Think that was a direct concern. So as we go through, just a reminder, 09/13/2023, two years ago almost to the day, the city council unanimously approved the new Gilbert Stuart project, the new a semester, and the Mount Pleasant project. Attached, you will find the resolution as well as the the front page of the stage two application. In this very room on 05/29/2024, the contract was also approved for this project, for a new Gilbert Stuart project.
Speaker 5
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The Providence School Building Committee has had since that time 20 meetings, which include and in each of the meetings, they send out correspondence, including presentations and and visuals and plans to the listserv, which includes members of the city council, and mister Kyle Delgado is representative for the city council at those meetings. There have been four on location meetings at Gilbert Stuart Slash Lima, and I suspect this is one where we may wanna have even more, and we welcome to have those. We've had, I believe, 10 or 12 at Mount Pleasant. We show up whenever possible. But there have been four meetings.
Speaker 5
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There have also been several district wide meetings. These meetings are shared with families, community members, and city council to attend the meetings. We also provide regular updates on the website, on province's site, which has all the presentations, the renderings, the the plan at at at large is available on the website. As it pertains to the implications financially, and I think this is maybe where it will spend some of the time, is that each of these projects, these major ones take about twenty two months. And we have and we've talked about this before is we have swing space limitations here that we have about four or five swing spaces, meaning one project goes through, and then the other one has to wait for that one to finish for the to it's a it's like a jigsaw puzzle.
Speaker 5
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The project behind this one, which will be directly impacted, is the Roger Williams project. In that, if there are delays to this project, that one will not qualify for its bonuses. Twenty two months from today is 06/30/2027, so we do have, like, a tiny bit of wiggle room. But in order to qualify for the bonus per state law, you have to finish by June 30. So the goal is to get the max bonuses for all your projects.
Speaker 5
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But the timeline for that starts to become unachievable if there are delays in that process. I think that's something to consider. In terms of construction material escalation, it's about 6% per year is the average at the scale of this project. We're looking about $400,000 a month in material delays. Meaning, if we were to buy something, in a year from now, it like, the cost is is it just increases.
Speaker 5
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Meaning, you either have to have a smaller building, use less materials, or go to taxpayers for more money to to solve the project. So timing is critical, for this one. And lastly, and I think this is the one that has been mentioned by the city's architects. They have done analysis, and I I believe, councilman, they will provide more of this documentation. But after reviewing the structure of the facility with the district's goal and the goal for this building is clear, it's a dual language pre k.
Speaker 5
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That is the the desire of the district. At the moment, the city has six pre k's in construction. But in order to achieve this, working with the existing configuration is not feasible. And for those reasons, they, the schedule has been proceeding. This has been, again, it's been two years in the making.
Speaker 5
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It is not something that just occurred over the past summer. So just trying to document that as well as itemize some of the expenditures. The other and, again, just to point out, the city has spent 1,700,000 on design of the existing building. If that design was scrapped for whatever reason, and either the project doesn't advance or some other project, we'll ride only reimburses for completed projects. So that wouldn't get the 91 percent.
Speaker 5
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So we designs have to end up with a completed project. So that's just a summary of of these fact sheets. Suppose we can we can have a discussion on these before we enter, other items that you may have questions on.
Speaker 0
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Yeah. I question,
Speaker 6
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Yeah. Just a quick I mean, just for clarification. You said actually, when chief said that we're waiting on design implementation with community feedback. So there is something that has been presented forward, but RIDE has already approved to this particular plan. Is that how that works?
Speaker 6
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I'm just trying to figure out because you mentioned after that, write on reimbursement on the completed project. So I just wanna make sure that something hasn't already been approved without the community engagement.
Speaker 5
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Great question. So there's a a multistage process to get reimbursement. So the the what's known as the stage one and stage two, just identifying the need and then coming up with the solutions you need. That's just the planning exercise. So the first two stages, right, the the district and the city did a plan, and the solution for this application was these three projects.
Speaker 5
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So at least that part has been approved, which guarantees that you're gonna get stayed as long as you comply with the school construction regulations. The next piece, which is known as stage three, is to get the design approved. What we do at Ride is we make sure that the plans that are submitted comply with the regulations, that they're using materials that are gonna be there for fifty years, that's energy efficient as a whole list of criteria that need to. That project is currently in that design process, there's, like, three tiers to it. I believe it's, like, in the exiting the first tier into the second, but that's what we believe is still ongoing.
Speaker 1
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Okay. Thank
Speaker 6
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you, Mary. That clarification, Paul. I appreciate it.
Speaker 0
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Thank you. Councilman Sanchez. Thank you, mister General. I just have a quick question. Who made this, like, this factual document?
Speaker 0
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Is this a is this a RIDE document? Or Mhmm.