Politicians Celebrate Tockwotton Home Construction

On Wednesday afternoon amid the wintry cold, Evelyn Katzman, 104, placed her signature on a beam that will be lifted atop the new Tockwotton Home building under construction. Katzman, along with other residents, tradesmen, Governor Chafee and Lieutenant Governor Roberts, gathered on Waterfront Drive to celebrate the milestone in the project's completion, according to a press release.

After the ceremony, the beam was lifted and welded into place atop the highest section of the new building.

The $52.3 million project broke ground in June after plans for the assisted living and nursing home were presented to the East Providence Waterfront Commission six years ago, reads the release.

The new Tockwotton on the Waterfront will be a 137,754-square foot, five-story structure, built on six waterfront acres. The building has been designed by DiMellaShaffer Associates of Boston and construction will be supervised by the construction manager, Cutler Associates of Worcester.

The current Tockwotton Home, located on East Street in Providence, was constructed in 1864. Renovating the existing structure was cost prohibitive and logistically difficult given the fact that the existing Tockwotton Home is fully occupied.

“In recent years, our ability to adapt to the changing needs of seniors has been constrained by the historic physical structure in which we reside,” said Executive Director Kevin McKay. “With a new site, we’ve been able to start from scratch and let needs dictate design.”

According to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau released in June, the number of Rhode Island residents over 65 was 14.3 percent, which is 1.4 percent above thenational average, according to the release.

“This project is good news for the Rhode Island economy,” said Governor Chafee. “Tockwotton is an established Rhode Island organization that’s growing."

“We are proud Tockwotton chose to locate on the city’s beautiful Waterfront Drive,” said East Providence Mayor Bruce Rogers. “This building is the cornerstone of the new development in the area which will create a good balance of housing, as well as affordable housing, business and open space. This project is a reflection of the greatwork the East Providence Waterfront Commission has done.”

In order to construct the $52.3 million community, Tockwotton secured $42 million through non-rated, tax-exempt bonds offered by the Rhode Island Health andEducational Building Corporation. The remaining $10.5 million will be raised from owner equity which includes a $5 million capital campaign. To date, $2.35 million has been raised with significant gifts from the Champlin Foundation, the Sharpe Family Foundation, the Ida Ballou Littlefield Foundation and the Rhode Island Foundation, reads the release.