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Boston Globe
04-07-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Meet the soon-to-be owner of one of Providence's oldest brewpubs
The Food Club sat down with Angel Winpenny, the owner of The Patio on Broadway in Providence and The Patio on Main in East Greenwich, which has been closed for months. She, along with her husband and other family partners, will soon Here's what she had to say about her plans for the brewpub. Q: There are a lot of restaurants up for sale around Rhode Island. Why were you interested in acquiring Trinity Brewhouse? Advertisement Winpenny: As a local Rhode Islander, I actually grew up going to Trinity. I've attended many events at the convention center and the place that we would always go before or after an event was Trinity. There was always a community feel, history, and character to the place. My brother and I would always get their wings and grab a drink before going somewhere. When I saw they were up for sale, I didn't just see it as an expansion. I felt like this building, a place that had a lot of soul and stood out in the middle of downtown, was a beautiful opportunity for me to preserve what people loved. How much did Trinity cost? Advertisement I really can't disclose that. We're also still in the process of closing on the sale. We expect to close toward the end of the month. What are your immediate plans for Trinity? We are planning some renovations, but it's not going to be a complete transformation. We love the art that they have, so there are some beautiful pieces we can't wait to showcase. At the Patio on Broadway, we rotate out some of our art from local artists every three months. That's been a special piece of the restaurant to us, so we'd like to do that at Trinity to really showcase some of the local talent. Trinity Brewhouse is one of Providence's oldest brewpubs. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff What will the renovations look like? Minor updates. What they have in there right now is so unique and historical, so we want to work with what they have while giving our own personal touch. We want to give the bartenders more space, and likely replace the floors. There are certain things that need to be modernized. We'll likely reopen sometime in September. What's your background? My husband owned a parking business before COVID. I worked at Sonia's in Cranston for many years, making the sandwiches there. How will you handle the continuity of Trinity's beer production — any new partnerships with brewers or changes to recipes? We're going to keep the head brewer, What happened to The Patio on Main in East Greenwich? It closed, and then reopened, and then closed again. Google says it's permanently closed and it's no longer listed on your website. Has it permanently closed? Advertisement When we opened The Patio on Main, we realized it was such a tight space. We needed a plan B, which was a bigger space. The Patio on Broadway has been so successful because of the space, our customers have followed us to Providence, and we have tourists from out of state that come visit. For East Greenwich, I'm unsure of our plans right now. Will it reopen? I'm truly being honest when I say it's to be determined. We don't really know because we're so busy with Providence and then Trinity fell into place, which requires a lot more of our attention. What are you planning for the menu at Trinity? We want to continue that kind of comfort food, but with some elevated sandwiches like the ones we served in East Greenwich that I never put on the menu at The Patio on Broadway. For example: We had our 'Odeum,' which was fried chicken, coleslaw, tomato, gouda cheese, pickled onions, and a garlic aioli on a brioche bun. So you're putting any menu items from The Patio on Broadway onto Trinity's menu? It's going to be it's own place. I haven't really thought about what we would take from Broadway, but people do love our chicken and waffles. So we'll see. Alexa Gagosz can be reached at
Boston Globe
23-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Why I'm leaving Rhode Island
Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up These highly sought after professionals can live anywhere they please. Why would they bother moving to a place like Rhode Island, where the only transit option is a bus that comes twice an hour during the day, and doesn't run at all when you want to attend a networking event, fundraiser, or just a fun night out with friends? Related : Advertisement While local politicians focus on tax incentives, many top companies are more focused on access to a highly specialized workforce. And those workers are attracted to places where they can afford good homes and get around easily. If Advertisement If Providence's Innovation District is to be the next Kendall Square, we need to put the $45 million a year in corporate tax subsidies — which we're not even breaking even on — to better use saving and growing RIPTA. Without investing it in mass transit, I can tell you right now, the companies will never come. Rhode Island never had a chance at That's why despite my roots in this state, like many before me, I'm leaving for greener pastures in Philadelphia, where I bought a home for a fraction of the price that it would cost here in Rhode Island, while comfortably ditching my car. Pennsylvania Governor John Shapiro is Advertisement When advocating for transit, an often forgotten part of the picture is housing. While rowhomes (i.e. townhomes) are the predominant housing in Philadelphia, developers are prevented from building them in most of Rhode Island because of exclusionary zoning rules that prevent people with lower-income from moving to more well-resourced neighborhoods. These rules, including massive minimum lot sizes, have led to Thankfully, and housing reform, prosperity will not come. Importantly, Philadelphia's proliferation of rowhomes is only possible because driving a car is a choice, not a requirement to have a full life in the city. Without the strength of SEPTA, many more residents would be required to buy and store a car in areas with limited street parking and zero off-street parking spots. I sincerely hope that will change, as the Related : Advertisement If the state is to prove itself as a place worth investing in and keeping people like me in it, transit and housing are the first places to look. Cameron LaFreniere is a volunteer with the Providence Streets Coalition and a fourth-generation Rhode Islander.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Real estate pushback to the 'Taylor Swift tax' begins. Will the charge hit everyday cottages?
Star entertainer Taylor Swift would owe Rhode Island around $136,000 in new taxes on her Watch Hill mansion if a new charge to high-end vacation homes proposed in the House version of the state budget passes. And Rhode Island real estate professionals, who successfully defeated a similar tax plan a decade ago, are mobilizing to kill the tax hike again and argue that even if Swift can afford it, she and others in her position shouldn't have to pay. "We're screaming from the top of Jerimoth Hill. ... Do not hurt our housing market right here more than you are," Chris Whitten, president of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors, told The Providence Journal in a June 12 phone interview. "Because who knows what the slippery slope leads to? Let's heal. How about we heal our housing crisis we have here in Rhode Island, which is the worst in the nation by many of the stats that we see." The "Taylor Swift tax," if it passes, would apply to second (or third or fourth) homes with assessed values of more than $1 million, and its proceeds would fund the state's low-income tax credits that help finance affordable housing developments. How much it will raise is murky. Because the tax wouldn't go into effect until July 2026, House budget writers did not have to estimate its financial impact on the 12 months starting this July 1. But real estate brokers and agents, who are even more ticked off about a proposed 61% increase in the conveyance tax on home sales, say soaring property values means the tax on expensive properties will hit more than just pop stars. "Think about that family that has had this Narragansett Beach house in their family for four generations, and the family collectively uses it various weeks throughout the summer, and in the winter it just stays vacant," Whitten said. "They're going to be whacked with this." The Taylor Swift tax, officially called the "non-owner-occupied tax," applies to all residential properties assessed at more than $1 million that do not serve as a primary dwelling. To qualify as a primary residence, an owner has to live there more than half the year, or 183 days. The non-owner-occupied tax rate of $2.50 cents per $500 of value only applies to assessed value above $1 million, so even homes worth exactly $1 million would pay nothing. Properties that are rented − either in traditional long-term leases or short-term through online platforms − would be exempt from the tax as long as, again, they are occupied at least 183 days a year. Beyond the revenue benefit of the tax, House supporters of it point out the potential added benefit of creating an incentive for property owners to make more productive use of their luxury pads. Swift could avoid the tax if, instead of spending a few summer weekends here, she becomes a bona fide 183-day-per-year Rhode Islander. Alternatively, she could rent out the 1904-built, seven-bed, nine-bath estate during the cold winter months. Either option would likely pump some welcome economic activity into Watch Hill during the offseason when the enclave can resemble a ghost town. "You'll have to ask her," House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said June 12 when asked if he hoped the tax would encourage Swift to move here full time. "I welcome any and all people who spend more time around Rhode Island. It's a beautiful state, and I love it dearly." Since then-Gov. Gina Raimondo first proposed a tax on luxury vacation "cottages" shortly after her inauguration in 2015, the politics around investment properties, out-of-state buyers and waterfront homes that sit vacant most of the year had not reached the boiling point where it is now. In the last decade, local governments have passed all kinds of ordinances restricting short-term rentals and lawmakers have considered numerous measures to encourage full-time owner-occupants but have largely maintained the status quo. A preamble to the new tax in the budget rails against absentee property owners, calls owning a property you don't live in a "privilege" and suggests that more moves to push homes into year-round occupancy could be ahead. "Non-owner occupied properties sometimes place a greater demand on essential state, city or town services such as police and fire protection than do occupied properties comparably assessed," the budget article says. "The residents of non-owner occupied properties are not vested with a motive to maintain such properties." And, it goes on, "some properties are deliberately left vacant by their owners in the hope that real estate values will increase, thereby enabling the owners to sell these properties at a substantial profit without making any of the necessary repairs or improvements to the property." Is some of that criticism of the high-end market fair? Whitten: "It's tough when people try to paint a broad picture, and it's a much more intricate situation. Just like landlord tenants, everybody's fighting at the State House, but we as Realtors are in the middle on that. We see both sides." The tax rate in Raimondo's 2015 Taylor Swift tax proposal was half that of the current plan, at $2.50 per every $1,000 of value instead of $2.50 per $500 of value. It was estimated to generate $11.8 million in new revenue, but was not included in the House budget that year. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Real estate pushback to RI's proposed 'Taylor Swift tax' begins
Boston Globe
30-05-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Primary care is in crisis — and Rhode Island can't delay addressing it any longer
Advertisement Primary care providers are being asked to do more than ever before: manage complex chronic conditions, integrate behavioral health services, address social needs, and navigate fragmented systems. But they're doing it with fewer staff, declining reimbursement, and an unsustainable administrative load — particularly prior authorization and denials that delay or block needed care. Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up There are efforts underway. The Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner has taken meaningful steps to highlight the value of primary care. Governor Dan McKee and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services have included targeted investments in the state budget. Advertisement We can't fix this overnight, but we can take meaningful steps now. Increasing Medicaid rates, removing prior authorization barriers, and creating a safe harbor for physicians seeking mental health support won't solve everything, but they will keep more doors from closing while we work toward a better system. House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson have both said that fixing health care is a top priority. Now we need to see that commitment reflected in action. Legislative and budget decisions made in the coming weeks will determine whether we're managing decline, or rebuilding the foundation we know we can't do without. This isn't just about physicians. It's about every Rhode Islander who has been told to wait six months for an appointment. It's about children overdue for physicals and older adults unable to refill a prescription. The erosion of primary care affects all of us — regardless of income, ZIP code, or insurance status. Rhode Island has the tools and talent to lead the nation in building a stronger, more equitable primary care system — one that respects clinicians, pays for what matters, and removes the bureaucratic roadblocks between patients and care. But we have to choose to act — and that time is now. The real fix will take time, funding, and the political will to follow through. But the longer we wait, the harder it will be to rebuild. If we don't act, we won't just lose practices — we'll lose the foundation of health care in Rhode Island. Advertisement Dr. Peter Hollmann is a board member of the Rhode Island Medical Society.
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Advocates push for updated R.I. public records law, seeking access to state's crash data
Advertisement 'When government hides information like crash data from the public, it is not just advocates and journalists that suffer,' Giles said. 'It is every Rhode Islander who walks, bikes, drives, takes public transit, or relies on emergency services. It is every family seeking answers after a tragedy.' Get Rhode Map A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State. Enter Email Sign Up Giles joined the legislative sponsors and advocates at a news conference in the State Library on Wednesday. 'Rhode Island should not remain a national outlier in secrecy,' he said. 'We deserve better.' The legislation is scheduled to come before the This is the third straight year that Advertisement DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat, said he saw the need for greater government transparency when he chaired the Senate oversight committee and found it difficult to get certain information. Also, he said the law needs to reflect new technology such as police body-worn cameras. 'We've waited too long,' DiPalma said. 'The time to to do it is now.' The proposed changes include: Body camera footage from use-of-force incidents would be made public within 30 days. Final reports of police internal affairs investigations would be accessible to the public, with personally identifiable information redacted. 911 call recordings would be more easily available to those directly affected. All documents discussed at a public meeting must be available to the public at the time they are being discussed. Requesters could seek a public interest exemption to, or reduction of, search and retrieval fees for public records. The blanket exemption for any correspondence of or to elected officials in their official capacities would be removed, but it would keep confidential records that are not related to official business. Fines would double for 'knowing and willful' violations to $4,000 from $2,000, and fines for 'recklessly' violating the law would double to $2,000 from $1,000. No fee would be charged for the first two hours of time spent searching for and retrieving documents (up from one hour), and no charge would be allowed for the denial of a records request. While this bill aims to reduce such costs, advocates noted that DiPalma said he added one new provision to this year's bill to address concerns, raised by the That section states that, 'If a person makes a request to view or copy a public record that is part of a series of contemporaneous requests filed with the intent to disrupt government operations, the chief administrative officer of the public body may petition the Superior Court for an order to relieve the custodian of the records from fulfilling the request.' Senator Louis P. DiPalma, a Middletown Democrat, speaks about his bill to update the state Access to Public Records Act. Edward Fitzpatrick John M. Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, said that after the 2020 election, there was 'a coordinated effort to really gum up the works at election offices around the country by making vexatious requests, particularly about Dominion voting systems. They weren't made in good faith.' Advertisement So the new provision aims to head off such requests, Marion said. 'It's not to deal with the requests that all of us make in the public interest,' he said. The legislation has been 'We often complete oversight hearings, and we feel that information has been withheld,' Serpa said. 'The withholding of information is counterproductive to the purposes of oversight meetings in the first place.' In December, DiPalma said residents might not mention the Access to Public Records Act when a politician knocks on their door. 'But I think when you say to somebody, 'Do you want your government to be open, fair, and transparent?' Of course, absolutely. No one will say no.' Charlie Galligan, a private investigator who spoke at the news conference, said, 'No disrespect to the speaker, but that sounds kind of dismissive.' Members of the public might not have a detailed grasp of the Access to Public Records Act, he said. 'But when they consume news, they're all the beneficiary of the APRA law. When the media is prevented from access, that does negatively impact the citizenry.' Scott Pickering, president of Advertisement For example, he said the Barrington School Department lost a court case and then pursued a series of lengthy appeals. Citizens began to question how much the legal battle was costing the school department, but the district refused to release that information, saying the documents were held by an outside law firm that wasn't subject to the open records law. So this legislation would close that 'loophole,' making records public even if they are held by a third party, he said. During the news conference, DiPalma quoted the late US Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis: 'Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.' Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at
