Paxson: ‘We need to move on the I-195 land’

LOOKING AHEAD: Brown University President Christina H. Paxson said she is
LOOKING AHEAD: Brown University President Christina H. Paxson said she is "cautiously optimistic" about Rhode Island's economic health in the new year. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Christina H. Paxson became Brown University’s 19th president in July 2012. She led development of the 10-year university strategic plan, “Building on Distinction,” completed in late 2013.

Paxson continues to focus her own research on the relationship of economic factors to health and welfare, particularly of children.

Brown is a key player in the South Street Landing project and a possible tenant in the I-195 life sciences proposal. What role does and should the university play in economic development in the state?

Brown University has a plan for growth outlined in our 10-year strategic plan, “Building on Distinction,” and that plan lays out significant investments in a number of areas. It’s very much in our academic interest to make major investments in the Jewelry District.

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This is an area where our interests very much coincide with the economic development of the state. Our growth in this area will benefit Providence and Rhode Island through job creation, commercial, academic and residential uses.

Our approach is through partnerships with the for-profit private sector and the public sector, so we’re not viewing this area to be all Brown. What we want is a mixed-use hub that represents the efforts of a large number of collaborative partners.

Racial sensitivity is increasingly an issue on college campuses today. How will your draft plan to promote diversity and inclusion, while investing $100 million over 10 years, help?

It’s important to realize most of the things in that plan have been under development for a long time and some of the things are already underway. Recent concerns expressed by students [when a campus police officer allegedly assaulted a student at a Latinx Ivy League Conference at Brown in November] are genuine and deeply felt, and are respected.

One component is to increase diversity among our faculty. In my mind, that’s one of the most important things. Already this year we started initiatives for post-doctoral fellows. We see this model as a way to get incredibly talented people interested in Brown.

Another example: We have plans already approved to start a center for first-generation college students.

How has the handling of crisis communications on college campuses evolved to be more responsive and effective?

One thing we’re very aware of is, with social media, when something happens on campus that may be disturbing or difficult, word gets around very quickly. So, we need to be prepared almost immediately to address the needs of our students.

What in your three years as president stands out as Brown’s top achievement?

One [thing] is pulling the community together to develop a very ambitious strategic plan, approved by the corporation [of Brown University] in 2013. It was created with faculty, staff and students. It is what underlies the comprehensive campaign. That’s a broad accomplishment.

As an economist, what is your view of 2015 in Rhode Island in terms of the state’s economic health?

The economic health of Rhode Island right now is mixed. Unemployment is coming down, that’s really important. … And we’ve seen some growth in manufacturing. That’s the good news. While we’re growing, we’re not growing as quickly as our peers or as quickly as the country is growing.

I’m optimistic about Rhode Island over the longer term. There are remarkable assets in the state. It’s a low-tax environment and companies should be looking to come here. There’s a great quality of life. My hope is, over time, Rhode Island can come up to the growth rate we’re seeing in the rest of the country and may even exceed it. The kind of investments we’re talking about in the Jewelry District – these are the kinds of things that will jump-start Rhode Island’s economy.

What do you see for 2016 in terms of Rhode Island’s economic health?

I am cautiously optimistic, but I am one of those economists who recognizes acutely how difficult it is to predict the future.

What one thing would you like to see happen in Rhode Island in 2016?

I would like to see well-established, approved plans for a mixed-use development in the Jewelry District. We need to move on the I-195 land. Right now we have 19 acres ready for development. They are ready to go, and if we don’t move forward on that in the next year, we are losing an opportunity. •

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  1. If Brown is so interested in moving forward with the I-195 land, then why did the school stand in the way of the PawSox stadium project by asking an high price for the property that would have been understood if it came from a for profit real estate company, but not from a non-profit who enjoys a tax free status? That’s what thinking people are asking???