Updates on Lower Gano and Penthouse Nightclub

Update on Lower Gano

For the last year and a half, the Fox Point Neighborhood Association (FPNA) has participated in meetings with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to develop a plan for lower Gano Street that eliminates the dangerous 90-degree turn under the bridge, eases traffic problems, and beautifies the area for walkers, bicyclists and visitors—all within RIDOT budget constraints. During Fall 2017, various stakeholders, including community groups, Brown University, bicycle advocates, and the City of Providence, identified a relatively low-cost plan that will smooth the turn on the south side of the bridge and separate the bike path on the north side from the busy street, routing it toward the river and under the eastern-most archway of the bridge.

After months of public discussion on this issue, FPNA is pleased to see the project move forward. Thank you, neighbors, for your many comments on this issue, and to City Councilman Seth Yurdin, Sharon Steele, Olin Thompson, and RIDOT for your help and collaboration. We’ll give you an update as we learn more.

The Penthouse Nightclub

Last September, The Penthouse nightclub opened on South Main Street in the space formerly occupied by Mile & A Quarter. Over the course of two months, the club, which featured stripper poles and dancers, violated several city license regulations and was associated with a late-night shooting. The Providence Board of Licenses revoked its liquor and entertainment licenses in late October, only to see the club appeal to the state-level Department of Business Regulation. FPNA interprets this case as just one example of the inadequacies in city and state-level license enforcement. With the help of neighbors and our elected officials, FPNA will do all it can to maintain quality of life in our neighborhood and push for long-term, systemic change.

Image, Amy Mendillo