By Dan Drazen
More than three years after its inception by Trinity, the former Imperial Knife Company building in Olneyville is seeing a new life through the opening of our 60 King project. The redevelopment of 60 King is the second housing project contemplated in the Build Olneyville Plan, a holistic, community-based vision for improving the Olneyville neighborhood and the nearby Manton Heights public housing development.
60 King includes 54 affordable rental units at 30% and 60% of area median income, as well as six market-rate apartments.
On October 30th, a sunny and crisp fall day, we were joined by Governor Raimondo, U.S. Senator Reed, Congressmen Langevin and Cicilline, Mayor Elorza, and our partners at RIHousing, ONE Neighborhood Builders, SWAP, and Citizens Bank to celebrate bringing modern and mixed-income housing to this neighborhood of Providence. The ribbon cutting ceremony was filled with excitement and enthusiasm as this project, which began construction in the spring of 2017, was finally completed. 60 King is Trinity’s first project in Providence.
The successful opening of this new development was made possible by the partnership and support of government officials and stakeholders from the federal, state, and local levels. As Barbara Fields, executive director of RIHousing said at the groundbreaking, “This is what happens when partners work together to turn the worst corner of the city into a showcase – the results are homes for families, recreational activities and a better quality of life.”
Starting in the 1950s, the 60 King building was home to the Imperial Knife Company, founded by brothers Felix and Michael Mirando, and financially backed and managed by their friend, Domenic Fazzano. One of the country’s largest manufacturers of pocket knives at the time, the Imperial Knife factory provided thousands of jobs in the area for many decades. We were honored to have members of the Fazzano family join us for this celebration. The redevelopment of 60 King is a testament to how repurposing a historic space that once provided jobs can now provide safe and affordable homes to the community.
The large windows and high ceilings in the units provide views to the Woonasquatucket bike path and walking trail adjacent to the building. Open floor plans and amenity spaces, such as the children’s indoor playroom and fitness center, offer opportunities for creating a sense of community. We look forward to seeing the families of 60 King make use of this adaptively reused space and add new vibrancy to this corner of Providence. Check out all that 60 King has to offer its new residents here.
Washington Village is the oldest public housing site in Connecticut and experienced significant damage and flooding during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Over the past few years, Trinity and the Norwalk Housing Authority have worked with the residents and local and state agencies to develop a plan to replace the housing on site with a design for the new buildings that pairs style with sustainability and flood resiliency. When completed, this revitalization will replace the existing Washington Village with 273 new, safe, modern apartments, including a one-for-one replacement of the 136 public housing units that existed there at the start of construction. 
At the ribbon cutting, Governor Malloy told the crowd, “Housing is fundamental to who we are and how we raise our children. We need a broader brush of affordable housing through our state.” At Trinity, we could not agree more. We are proud to now be able to share Phase One with the South Norwalk community, and also look forward to the completion of the whole project! 
At the core of all Trinity projects are the community, its residents, and 
Orient Heights, a public housing development, was originally built in 1951 and has been owned and managed by the Boston Housing Authority. The dated property sorely needed improvements to provide residents with quality housing within a healthier, more vibrant living environment. We were selected, along with the East Boston CDC, to bring this transformation to life. 
As we cut the ribbon to celebrate the completion of this first phase, MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay reminded us all that, “We always remember what we do this for – at the end of the day it’s about the residents and we all know that and keep our eyes on the prize.” This is something we take to heart at Trinity, as we always work to develop communities that enhance the quality of life for residents and the surrounding neighborhood.
Like most of our projects, the Overlook Terrace at Orient Heights revitalization is a collaborative effort between both public and private partners, and we were proud to stand alongside many of them at the ribbon cutting. Phase Two of construction is now underway, and will consist of 88 rental units in a combination of townhouse and mid-rise buildings, as well as new and improved open spaces. We’re hoping for a smooth construction phase and are as eager as the residents to fulfill the vision of a renewed community in this Orient Heights neighborhood!
We recently had the opportunity to come together to celebrate the official opening of this building with Governor Charlie Baker, leaders from UMass Lowell, national manufacturing institutes and the Massachusetts advanced manufacturing community. As Lowell continues to be a hub for innovation, we know that 110 Canal Street will be an important part of this story. We look forward to seeing the entrepreneurial and creative spirit that has revitalized this former mill building and hope it will extend beyond the building itself and into the entire city.
