CITYWATCH Biltmore rebuffed in attempt to privatize city sidewalk BY SARAH GOLDSTEIN

In July 2003, the Providence Biltmore petitioned the City of Providence to abandon the Dorrance Street sidewalk in front of the landmark hotel. The original request stated, "The Providence Biltmore Hotel desires to improve the entrance of the hotel, by creating a porte cochere in front of the hotel." For those who have not recently stayed at a five-star hotel, a porte cochere is an elaborate roofed structure usually leading to the entrance of a building.

Critics oppose the petition for a host of reasons, primarily because privatization will place the sidewalk under the management of the Biltmore, which will then be able to determine who is allowed on the sidewalk and for what purpose. John Alvarez, head cook at the Biltmore and a steward for UNITE-Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees, Local 217, says, "It is bad public policy for the city to allow the interests of a private company to override our First Amendment rights." Councilman Terrence Hassett of Ward 12, who chairs the Public Works Committee, agrees. "I wouldn’t support the petition — it cuts off public access," he says. "Public sidewalks are necessary to a city." Even without privatization, he says, "I think they have a sufficient amount of frontage to do what they want to do."

Opponents of the Biltmore’s petition were hardly comforted, though, when they found themselves locked out of City Hall shortly before the start of a March 7 hearing at 6 p.m. As it happened, the Public Works Committee "continued" the petition, meaning it opted not to make a decision at this time, and "may or may not be taking it up down the line," says Ward One Councilman David Segal, a committee member.

The locked doors were nonetheless frustrating to union members, who had gone out of their way to attend the committee meeting. "They put it first on the agenda and locked all the doors so we couldn’t be there," concludes Donna Heroux, a banquet waitress at the Biltmore. Serena Conley of Mayor David N. Cicilline’s office says she did not know why the doors were locked, and "it is highly unusual." It is unlikely that anyone would have purposefully locked the doors, as sidewalk privatization was just one of many issues being heard that night. Says Segal, "It happens occasionally. It was probably just an accident."

Segal, who opposes the petition, adds, "The concern is that employees will not be able to picket if the sidewalk is owned by their employer. It is not a good precedent to go about privatizing public space. It infringes upon the right to gather and it infringes upon the right to free speech." Other union locals have used the space in front of the Biltmore during past employee-management conflicts. Biltmore general manager Rod Lowe did not return phone calls seeking comment.

If granted its request, the Biltmore would have control of all pedestrian traffic on the hotel side of Dorrance Street. Many see the sidewalk as an important thoroughfare since, "It connects downtown to the rest of the city," says Providence resident Wally Sillanopoa, who was trying to attend the council hearing "as a concerned citizen." Brewer Buwee, a member of Local 217 who is originally from Liberia, says he finds the idea of privatizing a sidewalk "bizarre," and asks, "Where do they want us to walk — in the street?"

Petitioning the city to abandon its sidewalks and other public spaces is a growing trend, however. The recently opened Hotel Providence owns the sidewalk in front and is constructing its own porte corchere. Businesses that have petitioned for greater control of the surrounding public area include the Providence Performing Arts Center and the Trinity Repertory Company, both of which have successfully petitioned the city to ban vendors within 300 feet of their buildings during performances.