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.
