Heritage Alliance of Pawtucket: Preservation Reward Program Application

Supporting Materials Enclosed Here, in addition to our written application 😊

this 3-minute video documents construction of 390 Pine Street in Pawtucket

Some Before & After Pictures

Interior of an unfinished building with exposed brick walls, fluorescent lights, wooden planks on the floor, and metal support poles, with sunlight coming in through large windows.

A group of people participating in a yoga class in a studio with brick walls and large windows. They are practicing poses on yoga mats, many with arms raised towards the ceiling, in a well-lit space.

Interior view of a building under renovation, with exposed wooden floors, green painted brick walls, ceiling framework, and construction equipment scattered around.

An interior space with a wooden parquet floor, exposed brick walls, large black pendant lights, and a black-cased window. There is a decorated wall with photos and a neon pink sign that says 'Savvi'. The room has modern chairs and a wooden desk with a computer and a lamp.

Old brick building on a street with a cloudy sky, power lines, and a fire hydrant.

Red brick building with black window frames and a black door, surrounded by a small fence, with a grassy area and trees in front.

Empty parking lot with yellow-lined spaces, construction barricades, and boarded-up windows of an old brick building under a cloudy sky.

Empty parking lot in front of red brick building with two parked cars, overcast sky.

An empty industrial-style space with large windows, graffiti on a wooden partition, scattered debris, and a person standing and looking around.

An art studio or classroom with large windows, wooden floors, tables, and art supplies including spinning wheels and storage shelves.

Interior of an industrial space with large windows, graffiti art on walls, and various supplies and equipment scattered on the floor, including ladders, paint cans, and cardboard.

Interior of a modern industrial-style store or office with brick walls, large windows, and metal shelving filled with boxed and canned goods, greenery, and flowers, hardwood floors, and exposed ceiling pipes.

Interior of a partially renovated building with construction materials, black barrels, and debris on the floor.

Open-concept living space with a kitchen featuring white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and black countertops. Large windows with blinds on the left, wood flooring, and a ceiling fan and light fixture. Exposed ceiling beams and ductwork.

Empty parking lot on a rainy day with wet pavement, leafless trees, a small building, and a large brick building in the background.

A small black building with large glass doors, a leafless tree nearby, and a parking lot across a chain-link fence with several parked cars, under a partly cloudy sky.

Historical Archives Here

Description of Historical Relevance

According to the National Park Service: “The former Conant Thread/Coats & Clark mill complex is architecturally significant as one of the most extensive and well-preserved textile mill complexes in Rhode Island. Historically, the Pawtucket plant was significant nationally, and even internationally, as a key element in the international thread trust dominated by J. § P. Coats. Locally, the operation was for many decades the largest employer in the City of Pawtucket and the largest textile establishment in the entire Blackstone Valley.”

Founded by Hezekiah Conant, the complex contributed significantly to the success of the Industrial Revolution, and this corner 2-story building is one of the only buildings to survive the massive mill fires of 2020.

Dating back to the 1880s and according to the National Park Service: “The Conant Thread / Coats & Clark Mill Complex New Office Building functioned as clerical space for the internationally known Conant Thread Company. The Pawtucket plant was the largest textile mill complex in the Blackstone Valley & Pawtucket’s largest employer for many decades. The original 2-story, red brick building was constructed between 1880 and 1882. It is L-shaped in plan with a hipped roof and was designed in the Italianate style. A 2-story red brick addition abuts the northern end of the original building. It became listed on the National Register in 1983."

Summary of what the Project Contributes to the Community

Since opening, the main building now welcomes in more than 500 members from the public everyday with an outreach yoga studio, food pantry and art studio on the first floor. Upstairs 5 deed-restricted, affordable housing units are home to adults with disabilities, and 3 market-rate units are occupied by those who work in the immediate community. Also on the campus, a former garage has been transformed into the “LIFE Cafe” (operated by the social service agency LIFE Inc.) engaging the general public with food and drinks while also employing adults with disabilities. And because neighborhood revitalization is also part of mission in addition to preservation, the grounds have been environmentally remediated while the building is “green,” and care has been taken to install container and pollinator gardens.

See Our Shri Booklet Here

Learn More About the Museum We Created Here, Honoring Our History

Gallery interior with framed documents on white brick wall, large mural of a bearded man in a suit, and vintage automotive images in an art style.

A vintage dress form mannequin next to a wall display of antique sewing machines and framed text.

Interior view of a building's staircase and upper floor, decorated with historical and artistic murals and photographs, including a portrait of a man with a beard and a vintage cityscape.

Meet the 390 Pine Street Team

“This has been an under-utilized property that now comes to life for some non-profits, businesses and affordable housing. It’s an awesome thing; Alison took a shell of a building and that investment will help us more in the city.”

- Mayor Donald Grebien

“An art center, food bank, art studio, café, eight units of housing … Alison is a renaissance Rhode Islander; there are now developers trying to build more housing around this train station.”

-Stefan Pryor (then Commerce Secretary)

“A big cool project like this needs a spark plug and champion and that was Alison Bologna.”

- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

More Urban Revitalization Work

Project Outline

"I believe everyone deserves access to beautifully designed, meaningful space."

— Shri Founder, Alison Bologna

More Press Here

Thank You, Heritage Alliance of Pawtucket, for your consideration of our Preservation Reward Program Application! - PCF Development and Shri 😊