Pare was a member of the project team for the new Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General’s Customer Service Center, located in the Pastore State Government Complex in Cranston, RI.  The $15.4-million, two-story, 26,700-SF state-of-the-art facility has 300 rooftop solar panels, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and energy-optimized mechanical & electrical systems. In addition, 75% of the construction waste was recycled or salvaged over the course of the project, contributing to the facility’s expected LEED Silver certification.  The building also required a special fire suppression system installed to deplete the room of oxygen in the event of a fire in the building’s server room and fingerprint records room, where about one-million fingerprint cards are stored.  Pare completed the design of the stormwater management system, parking lots for a total of 122 vehicles, ADA-compliant walkways, and underground utilities.  Pare’s scope of work also included a traffic impact assessment, site preparation, permitting,  and construction administration & observation.  The center is named for former Attorney General Julius C. Michaelson, who served from 1974 to 1979 and implemented many customer service protection laws in Rhode Island as well as spearheading one of the country's first consumer protection divisions.  Learn more about the Center by clicking here.  

John Shevlin and Amy Archer of Pare’s Transportation Division presented a workshop on the East Bay Bike Path in celebration of its 30th anniversary at the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s New England Bike-Walk Summit.

Pare completed the original feasibility study, which included extensive public outreach, and the design of the path which runs 14.5 miles to connect eight parks together across five communities in eastern Rhode Island. It was the first bicycle path undertaken by the State of Rhode Island and one of the first in the Northeast. It is now considered by many to be the most popular project ever completed by the RI Department of Transportation.  At the time, however, there was formidable public opposition with concerns that the path would increase crime, noise, & vandalism, lead to the loss of loss of privacy, and decrease property values.  We continue to hear these objections today from abutters in communities considering similar rails-to-trails projects.  Overlooked was the potential for dramatic benefits in the areas of recreation, transportation and economic development.

The presentation gave an overview of the path and shared the lessons learned regarding the design. Download a pdf copy of the presentation here or view the presentation here.  To learn more about the presentation, the project, and additional rails-to-trails projects, contact John Shevlin.