2024 -- S 3025

========

LC005918

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

____________

J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $150,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND COMMERCE

CORPORATION FOR THE BLACKSTONE VALLEY VISITORS CENTER

     Introduced By: Senators Cano, Kallman, Acosta, and Britto

     Date Introduced: May 02, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     WHEREAS, Visitors’ centers, also commonly known as visitor information centers, or

tourist information centers, are buildings that serve as a source of information for tourists or new

residents that enter a state or a region of a state, and a showcase for the state/region; and

     WHEREAS, Visitors' centers in cities can either be owned and operated by the state, a

municipality, a local Chamber of Commerce, a tourism council, or be a joint effort between a city

or cities and a Chamber of Commerce to support and publicize a well-known tourist district, city,

or region; and

     WHEREAS, Visitor centers help increase travel and tourism statewide; and

     WHEREAS, An example of the extraordinary positive impact visitor centers and the

organizations that manage visitor centers have on the quality of life for residents and visitors is

illustrated by the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center;

and

     WHEREAS, Since 1985, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has been at the

forefront of sustainable destination development, place making, community building and

resiliency, and education; and

     WHEREAS, The Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves Rhode Island's ten (10)

Blackstone River Valley communities. It has a governing Board of Directors and is not

membership based. It serves the three hundred ten thousand (310,000) residents of Rhode Island's

Blackstone Valley; and

     WHEREAS, The Council is an environmental educator and operates the Blackstone

Valley Explorer, a forty (40) passenger Riverboat that takes students of all ages on the river and

has just opened the River Science Center at new offices located at 1420 Broad Street at Central

Falls Landing. The Council also produces the Dragon Boat Races held in Pawtucket, the Polar

Express Train Ride from the Depot in Woonsocket, manages the Blackstone Valley Visitor

Center in Pawtucket for over twenty-five (25) years, plus it works with the municipalities and

state agencies to improve the quality of life for our residents; and

     WHEREAS, BVTC efforts also include promotion of local businesses which serve as

destinations, marketing for the local food and drink industry to the region, and spurring and

facilitating activation of the Blackstone River through seasonal events, river boat tours, the

Taiwanese Dragon Boat Festival, and other major initiatives; and

     WHEREAS, The Council was the first destination in the world to receive the United

Nations World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) Ulysses Prize that merits distinction for

innovative contributions to tourism policy, tourism sustainable planning, environment protection

and new technologies. In 2006, the Council achieved the UNWTO'S best Certification in tourism

governance. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2008, recognized the

Blackstone Valley Tourism Council with their Tourism for Tomorrow Destination Award, the

most prestigious sustainable tourism development award in the world. In their comments, the

WTTC noted the Council's integrated, community-centered, resilient approach to tourism

development and community building; and

     WHEREAS, BVTC has three (3) locations throughout Northern Rhode Island

(Woonsocket, Central Falls and Pawtucket). In addition, BVTC’s Pawtucket location is directly

adjacent to the Old Slater Mill-National Historic Park Site run by the National Park Service

(NPS). The Pawtucket Visitor’s Center serves as the unofficial, unfunded visitor’s center for both

the NPS and the John Chafee National Blackstone Valley Heritage Corridor that runs from

Pawtucket to the State’s border in Woonsocket; and

     WHEREAS, The impact of reinvestment in the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center is

important for Pawtucket's growth. With the coming together of the stated community

development elements, the results will bring about the cohesion needed for the City to grow; and

     WHEREAS, The Blackstone Valley Visitor Center has three (3) entrances: one facing

City Hall, one facing the National Park and one facing Main Street. These strategic openings

allow for people to access the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center for business. Because the

Blackstone Valley Visitor Center is active, it has attracted the Rhode Island Football Club as a

tenant and the Globaltise digital/video production corporation as tenants. The Blackstone Valley

LC005918 - Page 2 of 4

Visitor Center's staff directs residents and visitors to find the local shops, restaurants, and services

to increase revenues locally and state-wide; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not

otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2024-2025, the sum of one hundred fifty thousand

dollars ($150,000) to the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation to distribute to the Blackstone

Valley Visitors Center for the express purpose of providing base level operation funds; and the

state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his orders upon the general treasurer for

the payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt

of properly authenticated vouchers.

========

LC005918

========

LC005918 - Page 3 of 4

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $150,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND COMMERCE

CORPORATION FOR THE BLACKSTONE VALLEY VISITORS CENTER

***

     This resolution would authorize the appropriation of the sum of $150,000 to the Rhode

Island Commerce Corporation for the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center.

========

LC005918

========

LC005918 - Page 4 of 4