PARK AVENUE PAIN

Bobby Catanzaro stretched out a long white strip of register tape on a pizzeria tabletop. The paper represented Cranston’s congested and detour-packed Park Avenue — from Reservoir Avenue to Cranston Street.

“You’ve got detours here, here and here,” he said, pointing to spots a few inches apart, imagining the receipt road was the street outside. “But I’m not mad at the city. I’m not mad at the workers. I’m not mad at the police. All of this, when it’s done, it’s gonna be beautiful. It’s all gonna be worth it.”

From Reservoir Avenue into Knightsville, city businesses have been struggling for at least the last year to keep their front doors clear and open to customers while utility work and sidewalk reconstruction have popped up and persisted.

Many of the business owners have banded together, signing their names to a several page-petition, discussed in detail at last week’s Cranston City Council meeting.

The petition reads: “For an extended period, the entrances to our establishments have been obstructed, making it extremely difficult for customers to access our services. The continuous traffic congestion has exacerbated the situation, deterring potential customers and causing significant inconvenience to those who do attempt to visit our businesses. This has not only affected our daily operations but has also led to a decline in customer satisfaction and loyalty.”

“Furthermore, the construction projects have been ongoing for years in some areas, with no clear end in sight,” the petition continues. “This prolonged disruption is unsustainable for our businesses, many of which are already grappling with the economic repercussions of the pandemic. The current situation is untenable and requires immediate action.”

The shop owners proposed “the city implement a nighttime construction schedule for road and sidewalk work.”

“This adjustment would significantly reduce the impact of our businesses, allowing us to operate more smoothly during peak hours and ensuring that our customers can access our services without necessary hindrance,” the petition urges. “Nighttime construction is a viable solution that has been successfully adopted in other cities facing similar challenges, and we believe it can be effectively implemented here in Cranston.”

According to Cranston Mayor Kenneth J. Hopkins’s office, police and workers on the street, the Park Avenue roadwork — mostly due to electric, gas and water utility upgrades — is finally winding down with a round of 3 a.m. paving starting Tuesday, July 30.

The State, Not the City

Cranston Police Maj. Todd Patalano said the road construction linked to utility work on Park Avenue, a state road, has all been organized, conducted and required by the state, not the city.

Patalano expected to meet with other officials late Monday afternoon, to iron out this week’s details.

Police traffic details have been required throughout the duration of the multiple competing utility projects. According to Patalano, more officers have been needed than the city could provide, so police from across Rhode Island have been working details on Park Avenue. On Friday, cruisers from West Warwick and Scituate were on the scene helping to monitor traffic.

Providence Water provided a statement via spokesman Christopher D. Hunter: “Providence Water has completed our work along Park Avenue in the vicinity of Cranston Street. Our remaining work consists of permanent restoration of the sidewalks that were affected by our infrastructure replacement work and will be completed over the next two to three weeks.”

Hunter noted Monday that the agency is “still pulling together the map of lead service line replacement work.” There’s still water work to be done.

“Providence Water will be conducting lead service line replacements in the area north of Park Avenue along Cranston Street and the surrounding neighborhoods,” according to the utility.

That construction could linger for more than a year, but will be focused on the area’s mostly residential streets.

“This work will take place during the remainder of 2024 and will be completed by the end of 2025,” according to Providence Water.

The main Park Avenue business corridor, from Reservoir Avenue to Cranston Street, however, just needs a fresh coat of asphalt.

The Shops

If you snake your way over the deconstructed sidewalk, curb and exposed manhole covers, through the chain-link fence and over the orange cones, you can step into Craig Mancini’s Continental Bait & Tackle at 1065 Park Ave.

“It’s been a tough few years,” he said, standing at the shop counter as his hefty chocolate lab Rosie roamed the store. “It’s almost impossible to get in here.”

These are usually Mancini’s best months. He peddles everything fishing — rods, reels, all the tackle one needs to angle in the Ocean State.

“This is a seasonal business,” he said. “Fishing is seasonal. They tore the whole road up. Put a new gas line in … Then they did the water. It’s been a rough two years.”

Mancini estimates his business is down as much as 30-40% since the utility work started outside his entrance.

A UPS delivery man entered the store. He and Mancini talked about the sidewalks outside and the numerous detours up and down Park Avenue.

“We pleaded with them to do the work at night,” Mancini said.

Night Shift

The mayor’s Chief of Staff Anthony C. Moretti told City Council that the state’s utility agencies don’t really work that way. The state plans the work and the city did the best they could to ensure at least one lane of travel was open on Park Avenue.

“Those discussions with the business owners revealed that most all supported the mayor and the work being done for the long-term good of the community and their businesses,” Moretti told City Council. “The business owner’s primary concern was if work could be performed at night.”

Now re-paving is slated to begin at 3 a.m., July 30, and wrap by early afternoon each day.

“This is the final step,” Patalano said Monday. “We should be done by the end of August.”

Patalano said the entirety of Park Avenue, from Park and Reservoir Avenues, to Phenix and Cranston streets, will be paved in three sections starting early Tuesday morning.

The construction schedule has been set up to “only disrupt the morning rush hour,” Patalano explained. The road crews will “try to get done by afternoon and off the road by 3 p.m.” each business day, he added.

Patalano said the utility work performed along Park Avenue, which he described as Cranston’s “main artery, east to west,” was a “monumental task.”

“For a job of that magnitude, there’s going to be disruptions,” Patalano said.

The worst is behind everyone — the shop owners, the commuters, the neighbors — now that utility work has mostly wrapped up, according to police and the mayor’s office.

“We’re in the ninth inning,” Patalano said. “They’re going to pave all of Park Avenue. We’re asking people to stay away from the area if they can.”

That may make the next month extra painful for Park Avenue shops that do a large portion of their business during the daytime.

The Petition

Mancini and Catanzaro were just two of a long list of more than 30 Park Avenue and Cranston Street businesses who signed a petition presented by City Council President Jessica M. Marino at the July 22 Cranston City Council meeting.

Moretti explained that “virtually all the work performed over the past (year) or so has been utility work.” After the meeting, he provided his notes on the multiple overlapping Park Avenue projects.

“RI Energy for gas line replacements and Providence Water for water projects including lead pipe service replacements,” Moretti wrote. “This was all work (that) needed to be done before much needed street paving. To emphasize, the work to date has not been that of the City of Cranston.”

According to Moretti, “utility work is now complete.”

The city’s paving contractor, Narragansett Improvement, was set to “commence city related street milling and paving on July 29,” Moretti explained, adding that the “targeted completion” of Park Avenue, from Budlong Road to Reservoir Avenue, is Aug. 29.

Patalano said to expect pavers to tackle Park Avenue in three separate sections: first, Park at Reservoir, to Park at Gansett Street; Park at Gansett, to Park at Budlong; and finally Park at Budlong to Park at Cranston Street.

Four electronic message boards have been placed along the route to help guide motorists.

The Park Avenue business owners’ petition read in part: “We the undersigned business owners of Cranston are writing to express our deep concerns and frustrations regarding the prolonged construction and traffic disruptions on Park Avenue and Cranston Street.”

“The ongoing construction projects have severely impacted our businesses, resulting in significant financial losses and operational challenges,” the businesses wrote. “We urge the city to consider alternative construction schedules to alleviate these issues.”

Moretti said those “concerns are legitimate, and the city had previously scheduled the city road construction work to be performed during off-business hours as much as possible.”

“As to the past utility work, both RI Energy and Providence Water do not regularly perform night-time work other than emergencies and exceptions,” Moretti explained at the council meeting. “Prior to hearing of this petition, we had already scheduled with the paving contractor to start at 3 a.m. rather than the typical 7 a.m. start time. We recognize that we must strike a balance with cost considerations as well.”

‘Killing Us’

Manager Anthony Ramos stepped from behind the counter at Sophia’s Café Cranston, at 1079 Park Ave.

The air looked wavy over a pile of freshly fired empanadas. A slow single-file line of customers waited for lunch around noon last Friday.

“They’ve been killing us,” Ramos said, looking out the large café windows toward the trucks, cones and snarled traffic. “We just opened two months ago. We’re down $15,000 to $20,000 … A lot of people probably think we’re closed.”

Moretti defended the city’s response to the requests of business owners. He told Marino he wished the mayor’s office would have received the petition sooner than just days before the July 22 City Council meeting (when they saw it on the meeting agenda).

“After seeing this document for the first time late last week, the mayor and members of his staff visited most of the businesses on that list to determine the real feelings of the (petitioners),” Moretti wrote.

The petition was dated June 7.

Almost every business owner and employee interviewed for this story, on and off the record, voiced concerns that their complaints would be viewed as “political.”

Mancini stressed that he has no qualms with the mayor’s office. Catanzaro was emphatic that he had “zero complaints” with the city. Marino broached the topic of “intimidation” during the July 22 Cranston City Council meeting. Moretti said he wasn’t sure how to deal with the problem without reaching out to the businesses.

Other businesses that signed onto the petition included: Hong Kong Buffet, 1776 Cranston St.; Moon Market, 1478 Park Ave.; Perfect Nails, 1466 Park Ave.; French Nails, 1401 Park Ave.; AJ’s Bakery, 1458 Park Ave; Park Avenue Dental Associates, 1127 Park Ave.; Salon Panache, 1103 Park Ave.; New England Coin Exchange, 1053 Park Ave.; Dyer Avenue Florist, 961 Dyer Ave.; Dunkin Donuts, 1111 Park Ave.; Ted’s Stadium Pub, 1145 Park Ave.; Nifty Nail, 1101 Park Ave.; Suntan Express, 1083 Park Ave.; Forget Me Not Florist, 1083 Park Ave (Suite 4); China Fun, 1071 Park Ave.; The Laundry Basket, 1070 Park Ave.; Caffe Bon-Ami, 1082 Park Ave.; Cranston Auto Ignition, 1152 Park Ave.; and many more.

“Essential infrastructure had been neglected prior to Mayor Hopkins taking office,” Moretti wrote in his notes and relayed to city council. He provided examples, including “our roads, sidewalks, Budlong Pool, storm drainage and city buildings.”

“The mayor has been making progress but it all can’t be done physically and economically overnight,” Moretti said. “With these improvements, unfortunately comes short-term disruption but for the long-term good.”

Although Moretti went on the political defense, he said the complaints have been heard and are being addressed.

“We all empathize with the concerns of business owners and motorists as we all have construction fatigue,” Moretti wrote. “The good news is that we are in the final stretch of all current work slated for completion.”

Moretti said Hopkins proposed $200,000 in grants for small businesses affected by the construction, but the pitch was rejected by city council.

“Had the Council approved the mayor’s proposal to use ARPA funds, some relief would have already been provided,” Moretti argues. “Unfortunately, the Democrat City Council majority chose not to act.”

The city’s use of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds is currently tied up in court, due to litigation between the mayor and city council over how the money can be spent.

Moretti confirmed Park Avenue re-paving will wrap by the end of August and the Knightsville sidewalk beautification project may be complete in time for Christmas.

From the Scene

Patalano responded to a few follow-up questions from the construction site early Tuesday morning.

“Been out here since four this morning, going strong,” Patalano said from his vehicle. “They already have, from Park at Budlong, to Park at Reservoir, milled. In two days, we’ll have this whole thing already milled. We’ve got a ton of trucks here. And we’ve got all the proper signage. It’s beautiful.”

Milling is the first step; re-paving will follow.

Patalano was optimistic the overall Park Avenue re-paving effort would likely progress rapidly, and hopefully, ahead of schedule.

‘Great Pizza’

Last Friday afternoon, about half his pizzeria’s tables full, Catanzaro said he really only signed on to the petition to help support his neighbors.

He walked outside and stood along Park Avenue, looking right toward the bridge, and across to Knightsville. Park Avenue stretched to the left; full of obstructions. The afternoon traffic was just starting to trickle through.

The pizzeria owner confessed his daytime business has been seriously affected by the roadwork, but ultimately, he insists all the pain will be worth it.

“This will all be beautiful,” he repeated. “This work needed to be done.”

Catanzaro called into the dining room to waitress Carolynn Gifford. He insisted she come outside to pose for a photo. He said he knows the secret to staying in business despite all the roadwork around his shop.

“I have an amazing product,” he said. “If I had terrible pizza, I’d be out of business.”