RIOC President Steve Shane told The WIRE last week that the Public Safety Department (PSD) will move to 504 Main Street, the Blackwell "minischool" space last occupied by RIOC itself while its quarters at 591 Main Street were repaired, and before that by the Lillies Christian School.

The Maple Tree Group’s Monday night meeting, working on an election plan. Present when this photo was taken, clockwise from left: RIRA President Matthew Katz, MTG Convenor David Bauer, RIRA Secretary Sherie Helstien, Lee Edelman, Vicki Feinmel, Ivens Stanton, and Margie Smith, who chairs RIRA’s Government Relations Committee.

Speaking of Jim Fry, the current PSD Chief, Shane said, "I asked Jim if he would like to get out of the current space on a permanent basis." Initially, 504 Main had been seen as a temporary relocation space during repair of the PSD facility in Eastwood across the street from Trellis.

Shane listed a series of advantages to making the move permanent: A more central location once Southtown is completed, getting PSD cars off Main Street, more privacy when people are brought into the station, space for lockers, better "holding pens," and a more separated office area. Shane described the PSD staff as "wildly enthusiastic" about the move. He said he "tried the idea out" on "a couple of other resident associations" and that RIRA President Matthew Katz "didn’t jump up and down and start screaming."

Asked about past plans to use the 504 Main Street location as expansion space for the Youth Center, which occupies adjacent space in Eastwood, Shane said, "There must be other ways to deal with the Youth Center. We’ve got plenty of available space."

Shane said he envisioned setting aside a portion of the building for retail space.