It was heralded locally and nationally.
In 1999, the New York Times wrote, “Today this half-mile swath bears a new name, Waterplace Park, and with its new outlook hints of a Venice in New England. Much of the credit goes to the architect William D. Warner, who, though he didn t exactly part the asphalt, has created a model of urban revitalization, turning what was once a desert of hardtop and highway into a canal and promenade.”GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
At the time, the new waterfront walking park reinvigorated Providence from a gloomy city much like Gotham City to an urban explosion of arts, tourism and redevelopment.