Mayor Baldelli-Hunt Announces $150K RI Commerce Corp. Award for New Outdoor Stage at WWII Veterans Memorial Park
September 26, 2022
Contact: Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt
lbaldellihunt@woonsocketri.org; (401) 767-9205
Mayor Baldelli-Hunt Announces $150K RI Commerce Corp. Award for New Outdoor Stage at WWII Veterans Memorial Park
WOONSOCKET, R.I.: Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt today announced that the City has been awarded $150K from the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation to construct a new ADA accessible, outdoor stage at WWII Veterans Memorial Park. The award applied for by the City’s Planning and Development Department is part of the Commerce Corporation’s ARPA initiative to build and improve outdoor public spaces to aid tourism and hospitality industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mayor indicated that the $150K Commerce Corporation award will be combined with already allocated funds from the City’s own ARPA grant to build an appealing and functional outdoor stage that will provide a lively focal point for community and artistic events at WWII Veterans Memorial Park. The Park is home to the City’s annual AutumnFest, the largest fall festival in the State attracting over 100,000 visitors each year. The Mayor expressed belief that the new stage will support local and school performing arts, as well as provide a venue for summer concerts and movies in the park. It is expected that the new outdoor stage will be completed in time for the 2023 AutumnFest.
Mayor Baldelli-Hunt stated, “I am very grateful for the RI Commerce Corporation for their generous award. Our new outdoor stage at WWII Veterans Memorial Park will bring exciting new cultural, educational, and other community events to Woonsocket for our residents and visitors. Park attendance will grow, more people will engage in healthy outdoor activities at the Park, friendships and community pride will be strengthened, and our surrounding local businesses will benefit from the increased traffic.” The Mayor then lauded the award application efforts of the City’s Planning and Development Department, “Mike Debroisse and his talented staff worked very hard in putting together a compelling application for this competitive award and our being able to build a first-class, new outdoor stage will be due to their efforts. Special recognition to Veronicka Vega who was the lead on this grant application.”
Planning and Development Director, Mike Debroisse stated, “I am very proud of our small but dedicated Planning and Development staff. Writing grants is not easy and is very time consuming, but we recently have been able to win several grants that will really benefit our community.”
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