You might be surprised to hear that building a neighborhood is like building a basketball team: Developers want attractive offerings in their buildings to draw people to the community, so some take care to recruit.
Two decades ago, I opened Gracie’s on Washington Street in downtown Providence because my restaurant was recruited by Cornish Associates to be part of the “future downtown neighborhood.”
In 2005, my tour of the “neighborhood” included walking empty streets with Francis Scire. He shared a vision for this city. In 10 years, he said, this would be a neighborhood full of proprietors, artists, residents, and energy.
I met with developer Arnold “Buff” Chace, a managing partner at Cornish. He said Gracie’s would be an important part of this future. I believed him. I saw the vision, and I made an investment.
Building this downtown neighborhood took sweat equity, many believers, and a committed team. Once built, like any project worth its salt, it has required maintenance and careful curating and re-curating. As a downtown owner, I assisted in its creation, something I hadn’t expected.
I found it surprising at first that Cornish didn’t simply rent me the space across from the treasured Trinity Repertory Company, and then just wait for my rent check. Instead, they invested in me. They learned my business, checked in each month, and provided ideas to grow.
This attention is Cornish’s practice with every business in their buildings. The Cornish team recruits businesses, and retains them. It is done with intention, for the betterment of the neighborhood. They build relationships and even created the InDowncity brand to bring added visibility to our small business community and curate events that draw thousands.
Nine years ago, we opened our Parisian-style bakery, Ellie’s, in a small space on Washington Street, later moving to a larger space on Weybossett Street owned by a different developer. But last spring, I was told that we had 30 days to leave because the building was up for sale.
I thought about all we’d put into establishing this sister restaurant to Gracie’s. Mostly, I was thinking about the people who did this work: the front-of-house team, servers, and baristas; and the back-of-the-house team, our chef, the bakers, the cooks, the dishwashers… It was ending. They would lose their jobs.
As I faced what seemed like the end of Ellie’s, the Cornish team called to ask about my plans. Buff Chace and Joanna Levitt insisted that downtown was Ellie’s home, that we belonged here, and that together, we could find a solution. I knew they were right.
Today, Ellie’s is in business on Westminster Street because Cornish cared about more than filling space, they cared about me, my business, my employees, and the neighborhood. Cornish cares to offer things the neighborhood needs and wants. As a result, we now serve neighbors and visitors breakfast, lunch, and soon a wine bar across from Grants’ Block – a park donated for public use by Cornish.
I am sharing my story because stories about caring, connection, and community are needed. I wrote this to help people understand things don’t just happen magically, they take commitment from all parties. I am grateful to my landlord: Cornish leans in. To Buff Chace, people he does business with are partners, and friends. I am grateful to our neighbors for all the support, and for cheering us on. The neighborhood that started as empty streets and a vision is now a reality.
A neighborhood is a special place. Our two businesses are a part of Providence’s downtown, where I feel cared for and important to this community. In this time where many feel a lack of trust and dissolution of faith, I know there are things to believe in. There are people who care. And today, we at Ellie’s know what it feels like when your neighborhood and landlord have your back. We’re lucky.
Ellen Gracyalny is the owner of Gracie’s and Ellie’s in downtown Providence.