2023 -- H 6465

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LC003126

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

AUTHORIZING APPROPRIATION OF FIVE MILLION DOLLARS ($5,000,000) TO

COMMERCE RHODE ISLAND FOR EXPRESS PURPOSE OF PROVIDING BASE LEVEL

OPERATION FUNDS FOR LOCAL VISITOR CENTERS

     Introduced By: Representatives Messier, Alzate, Stewart, Cruz, and Shallcross Smith

     Date Introduced: May 31, 2023

     Referred To: House Finance

     WHEREAS, Welcome centers, also commonly known as visitors' centers, visitor

information centers, or tourist information centers, are buildings located at either entrances to

states on major ports of entry, such as interstates or major highways. These welcome centers,

which first opened on May 4, 1935 next to U.S. Route 12 in New Buffalo, Michigan, are

locations that serve as a rest area for motorists, 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.

     WHEREAS, Welcome centers can be thought as covering several different concepts:

state-owned and operated welcome centers near a state's border, state or municipal-owned and

operated visitors centers in cities or rural areas, and service plazas on toll roads, that are either

state-owned and operated, state-owned but operated by a private company, or privately owned

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

municipality, a local Chamber of Commerce, or be a joint effort between a county and/or a city

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

region.) States have different ways of naming welcome centers, but some of the most common

ones are welcome centers, visitor’s centers, or visitor’s information centers.

     WHEREAS, Visitor centers help increase travel and tourism statewide.

     WHEREAS, There exists several visitor centers located throughout the state consisting of

the following:

     Washington County

     Block Island-Block Island Tourism Council, Charlestown-Charlestown Chamber of

Commerce and Wakefield-South County Tourism Council

     Newport County

     Newport-Newport County Convention and Visitors Bureau

     Providence County

     Central Falls-Blackstone Valley Visitors Center; with satellite locations in Pawtucket and

Woonsocket

     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.

     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. 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. 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. 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.

     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.

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     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.

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

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

elements stated the results will bring about the cohesion needed for the city to grow. 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 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 2023-2024, the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000)

to Commerce Rhode Island for the express and limited purpose of providing base level operation

funds for local visitor centers.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

AUTHORIZING APPROPRIATION OF FIVE MILLION DOLLARS ($5,000,000) TO

COMMERCE RHODE ISLAND FOR EXPRESS PURPOSE OF PROVIDING BASE LEVEL

OPERATION FUNDS FOR LOCAL VISITOR CENTERS

***

     This resolution authorizes the appropriation of the sum of five million dollars

($5,000,000) to Commerce Rhode Island for funding of local visitor centers.

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