Brown ready to up payment to city, talk about more

Brown University has been a vital part of Providence for almost 250 years, and the university community looks forward to partnering constructively with Providence for many years to come. In the spirit of rediscovering the valuable relationship we know can exist, I am writing today to correct some misinformation about this relationship so that this town-and-gown pairing can realize its full potential.
Brown understands and appreciates the fiscal challenges facing Providence and the difficult decisions that Mayor Angel Taveras has confronted in the past year. These financial problems, however, are not short-term and cannot be fixed with a quick infusion of cash. Providence and Rhode Island need to develop a strategy for prospering in the longer term, a strategy that will reverse the tide of emigration by creating an economic climate that sustains education and research, attracts companies and brings jobs. It is in this longer-term, strategic approach that Brown, together with the other educational institutions, is best able to be of service.
That work is already well under way, as evidenced by the changes taking place in the Jewelry District. Brown has invested more than $200 million in this area over the past decade, reinvigorating a historically important part of the city and establishing the critical foundation for the future Knowledge Economy.
It should not be forgotten that Brown and other nonprofits already contribute to the city’s revenue stream. In 2003, during the midst of an earlier fiscal crisis, the private colleges and universities in Providence agreed to voluntary payments to the city of $50 million over 20 years. Brown alone provided $4 million last year in voluntary and property tax payments to Providence and recently offered an additional $10 million over the next five years in support of the Providence schools. The city also receives payments in lieu of taxes from the state as a result of the presence of private colleges and universities, receiving $23 million last year. Last spring, the mayor met with Brown President Ruth J. Simmons to ask that Brown increase its payments to Providence by an additional $5 million per year to close a $7 million budget gap that he hoped the nonprofits would fill. We made it clear that while the university could not provide what he asked, given our proven commitment to Providence and our stake in the its success, we would certainly seek opportunities to enhance support for the city during this critical period. We also were clear that any additional contributions would need the approval of the Brown Corporation, the university’s governing board.
Representatives from Brown and the mayor’s office actively engaged in discussions for several months to identify ways for Brown to increase its financial contributions to the city while not undermining the university’s capacity to support its students, academic programs and role as a leading employer and center of research in our state.
In December, to meet the mayor’s stated end-of-the-year deadline, a committee of the corporation approved moving forward with a piece of the working proposal – providing $10 million over five years in support of the Providence schools. The committee determined that a portion of the working proposal relating to Brown’s role in the redevelopment of the Interstate 195 area was significant and complex enough to demand the review, attention and action of the full corporation. That process was interrupted by the mayor’s decision to halt our discussion.
While we were surprised and disappointed by the city’s rejection of our $10 million offer, we at Brown remain hopeful that our shared goal of a stronger and more vibrant Providence will result in an equitable and sustainable solution that honors the obligations of the city, Brown and other important nonprofit stakeholders in the city. •

Marisa A. Quinn is vice president for public affairs and university relations for Brown University.