An exciting new project at The Groden Center on Manton Avenue will make the Greenway connection even stronger.
Recently, members of WRWC’s Campeones team toured The Groden Center and the surrounding area to get a firsthand look at the site of upcoming green infrastructure and accessibility improvements. The team was joined by Alisa Diaz Richardson, P.E., PMP, Administrator of RIDOT’s Environmental Division, and Alicia Lehrer, Executive Director of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC).
The visit offered a preview of a project that will improve stormwater management, create a greener and healthier landscape, and—especially exciting—give The Groden Center a safe, direct connection to the Woonasquatucket River Greenway.
Greening the Greenway
Through a partnership between the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) and WRWC, the Stormwater Retrofits to Green the Greenway project will bring several important improvements to the property at 610 Manton Avenue in Providence.
The project will include a new storm drainage culvert, a water-quality swale, and a riprap sediment catcher to better capture and manage stormwater before it reaches the surrounding environment. Invasive species and contaminated soils will be removed, and new landscaping will enhance the area alongside the Greenway and Manton Avenue.
But this project isn’t only about what’s happening with the water and landscape. It’s also about access.
Although The Groden Center sits right alongside the Woonasquatucket River Greenway, its staff and clients currently don’t have an easy way to access it. A new sidewalk and nature path will change that, creating a safe connection between The Groden Center and the bike path.
That means a trail that has been right next door will become a resource that The Groden Center community can more easily enjoy for years to come.
Connecting People and Place
Founded in 1976, The Groden Center is part of The Groden Network, which provides services and support for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Today, the network serves people of all ages at more than 25 locations across Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Creating a safe connection to the Greenway opens new opportunities for The Groden Center community to experience the outdoors, spend time along the river, and enjoy one of Providence’s important recreational and natural resources.
It’s exactly the kind of connection we love to see along the Woonasquatucket: infrastructure that works harder for the environment while making the Greenway more welcoming and accessible to the people who live, work, learn, and receive services alongside it.
What’s Coming Next
Project partners include RIDOT, WRWC, The Groden Center, and JCM Design & Display, with RIDOT’s Environmental Division and Office of Stormwater Management helping move the work forward.
For our Campeones team, visiting the site was an opportunity to see how green infrastructure, stormwater management, climate resilience, and community access can all come together in one project.
We’re excited to watch this space transform—and even more excited for the day when The Groden Center community can step outside and safely connect directly to the Woonasquatucket River Greenway.