Hope Into Reality: The Rebirth of Constitution Hill
Hope Street Family Center Celebrates Renovation Completion in Woonsocket's Constitution Hill Neighborhood
(Woonsocket, RI) Rhode Island Local Initiatives Support Corporation congratulates NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley (formerly Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation) on the completion of renovations to The Hope Street Family Center.
Standing on the highest point of this formerly neglected neighborhood: the building's rebirth mirrors that of the community it overlooks. Abandoned since 1978, it was a source of blight and a sign of the neighborhood's decline. But now, it will provide 110 child care slots and office space for Connecting for Children and Families, Inc. This development caps 12 years of work by NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley (NBRV) and their partners to rebuild and revitalize the Constitution Hill neighborhood. Since 1995, LISC has invested over $30 million in Constitution Hill.
"The rehabilitation of this historic structure provides an ideal opportunity to reflect on the cumulative impact of all of our investments in this community," said Michael Rubinger, President and CEO of LISC. "The transformation of Constitution Hill from a place of hopelessness and neglect into a vibrant, healthy and sustainable community is a powerful example of comprehensive community development at its best."
Rhode Island LISC and LISC's Rhode Island Child Care Facilities Fund invested over $2 million in loans and equity in the project. The $1.3 million New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) investment was the first use of a NMTC to fund a project involving child care.
Read the Woonsocket Call's terrific coverage of the event.