Ground finally broken for new RI State Police HQ / Video
2:52 PM Thu, Jan 29, 2009 | Permalink
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SCITUATE, RI -- After years of delays, and changes in possible locations, the Rhode Island State Police broke ground today on the site of its new headquarters -- at the same site as the current headquarters on Danielson Pike. Col. Brendan P. Doherty, superintendent of the state police, were joined by Governor Carcieri and other dignitaries at the 2 p.m. ceremony. The new three-story, 56,384-square-foot facility will house the state police administrative, detective and uniform personnel, as well as the E-911 Public Safety Answering Point. Voters first approved spending $48 million on the project nearly seven years ago, but the headquarters had trouble finding a permanent home. Plans for the location changed several times as the state faced budget problems; despite shutting down the Welcome Arnold shelter in Cranston two years ago, the state ultimately decided against building the new headquarters there. The current economic climate is shaping the final plans -- the building and resulting construction costs have been substantially downsized and are being funded through the state's capital fund, according to the state police. The construction costs are now $27 million; the general contractor is A.F. Lusi Construction of Smithfield, and architect-engineer is RGB Architects of Providence. The project is expected to take about two years to complete, and support about 110 construction jobs. -- with reports from Greg Smith, Journal staff writer 
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With present financial climate I would think this project should be held up. Irregardless of what the voters voted a few years ago things have changed big time, it certainly won't help the State's finances now and in the forseeable future.
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Hey BR,
I see what you mean, but the state needs jobs badly. More jobs means fewer unemployment checks going out and more tax revenue coming in. It sounds insane, but the best way to get out of a recession is to spend your way out--even if you're woefully in debt.
I just wish they'd spend it on something other than a police station. There are too many damn cops in the state.
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I still want to know why they knocked down two buildings on the ACI property for the express purpose of this building, and then decide to put it right back where they started.
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And the homeless were tossed from welcome arnold because of why again? So stupid! Go to the old ladd center and you have 12 buildings to pick from already standing. Go to the IMH campus and choose from 6 buildings currently home to pigions. Caceri you were at the top of your game during the station fire. After than you have show what you really are.. just another idiot. You had me fooled for a while.
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I agree with the poster EMT.
I would still like an answer from Carcieri as to WHY they were in such a rush to knock down two buildings on the IMH/ACI property in Cranston when the deal for the location of the new State Police Headquarters had not even been finalized.
The Welcome Arnold shelter was the only place many homeless people had in this area.
As the recent death of a homeless person under an overpass shows, this is a significant problem.
I was very disapointed in Carcieri on this matter.
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We have an emergency on our hands. Spending money like this right now is obscene.
I don't care who approved it or when. This money needs to be reappropriated.
While we have fellow citizens living under bridges in tents in the dead of winter,
we have only 3 priorities.
Every person in this state needs to have...
1. Shelter
2. Food
3. Basic health care
This is a moral and ethical responsibility.
Every cent we have should be going to this first, then we can move on to jobs
and education but until every RI Citizen has the basics needed to survive,
we have no business spending money elsewhere.
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This makes perfect Rhode Island sense. Close a homeless shelter and build a police station. Along with having the least intelligent judges in the country (another story), we have to make sure the police are cozy and warm while homeless people freeze to death under bridges.
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