How about all of the inter-related town offices, so that they would be at one convenient location with the capability of putting in modern communication infrastructure, shared (lower cost) utilities, and plenty of parking. When Office A tells someone that they need to be at Office D, it would be a short walk. Add in a small annex post office and a fedex/ups kiosk and you'd be off to a good start.

Goverment offices, DMV.

or, Whole Foods or a Trader Joe's

Trader Joes!

It's an ugly road. I'd tear the whole place down parking lot and all, then I'd plant trees and pastures.

Trader Joe's would be nice but I believe Stop & Shop owns the plaza and they like not having any competition around.

Dmv, Dpt of Human Svc, Dpt of Labor & training

work out world

Barnes and Noble!! Whoohooooooo...

DMV

I'm with Ray Andrews! If not that, maybe a MARSHALL's

Didn't know Stop and Shop owned that Plaza...I was going to suggest a reasonably priced Supermarket ie. Price Rite or something...sick of the daylight robbery from Stop and Shop

Barnes and Noble sounds great!! or a Christmas Tree Shop!

Dave's Market Place

The area does not need more stores, there are sufficient numbers in the area. What should be put there is the following "Multi-functional, mixed use facilities". All of the utilities can easily be provided to make this happen;

1. Work space for some start up businesses.
2. Some low and medium income, starter apartments
3. A small day care center

The businesses can employ some of the residents of the apartments. The businesses can share some common functions, such as bathrooms, toilets, conference rooms etc. The day care center takes care of the children of the staff of the startups, plus others from the renters.

This synergistic type of development is environmentally friendly, effective and builds community. If space allows there could also be a small college extension progam which uses the conference room and other facilities to teach the interested community computer skills and so on.

See http://bristol-warren.patch.com/articles/fill-this-warren-storefront-ocean-state-plaza
for previous discussion of the same location and some really good suggestions.
The hangup always seems to be the supposedly high rent by supposedly an old supermarket. No one can afford the rent and no other supermarket could rent there. That was the story anyway.

Walmart or Target would be great. Then we could buy stuff in our own town and the taxes would go to own town instead of Seekonk, MA. The town of Warren could use some new revenue. I drive thru town an all I see are gold stores and failing antiques. If either one of these stores would open Bristol, Barrington and Warren would all shop at them. Gee! wouldn't be nice if we did have to give our money to Massachusetts too...Rhode Island needs a boost too!

I agree with "Pirate Mommy". I think a multi-service store (Target etc) would be great! Warren could use the revenue. I would rather give my business to our town rather than Swansea or Seekonk. I don't think we need a market there. We have a Stop & Shop and Shaws close by not to mention Tom's! I'm also not oppossed to the DMV idea or town offices, but I think a store of some kind would be more benificial financially.

DMV!

Seems to me a lot of the problems with Ocean State plaza has been the rents, if I remember right, and I can not recall it ever was totally full over the past 25 years. It sounds more like an owner or realty problem.

Would be nice to some small local businesses be able to move there, but I suspect again the rental and unwillingness of who ever the owner is to subdivide for quanity of businesses vs larger franchises, is seems also, which never seem to last.

Another idea just off the top of my head, would be a flea market type thing during the spring and summer for locals to sell things and maybe space for the local farmers to expand their wares there also, in these economic times that, lets face it, are not going away in this state anytime soon may be a reasonable choice for a lower rent or small percentage of sales in lieu of rent or both possibly.

Though I would not cry if a Denny's or IHOP fanchise owned by a local moved in one othe spots. love their hash browns and Steak n Eggs lol.

That spot isn't big enough for a Target or Walmart. Sadly, Job Lot moved in to the really big empty spot in that plaza and left a medium size location empty. Something should go there that's not a cash-4-gold or antique shop. We have waaaay too many of those in Town.

I'd like to see that entire plaza town down and put in an ice rink as there are none open year round between Fall River and Cranston.

What ever happened to the proposed Stop & Shop gas station that was to be in that lot?

I like the idea of giving some small businesses an opportunity to open some stores. We do need some clothing and shoes stores. Nothing too pricey though. I would like to see more people shopping local instead of going to Massachusettes.

Trader Joe's would be fantastic there!

There is a void left by the Salvation Army left in this community. But they said they moved out because of the rent.
I really like Jack B.'s suggestion of a sit-down with the owner and some local business-initiative committee. This is the kind of problem that needs investigation and aggressive problem solving. Ditto for other key vacancies.

NAPA auto parts store? All these auto body shops and mechanics in the neighborhood. Could they use a closer supply source? Where's the nearest NAPA, Seekonk?
Someone once suggested a call-center/IT use for the spot.
How about a modern employment office with HR managers, job listings, even temp listings. Workshops on interview skills, resume help. Warren used to have this on Metacom. What do people do for that nowadays, go to Prov? Search at home alone online?

Though I am not a resident of Warren, I would suggest that a few of the commentors here, email thier Council members requesting they have the sit down I suggested to look at way to finally fill this plaza with jobs, we need more public involvement in thse things in these economi times. We cannot expect councilors who do have a lot on their plate to know all the wants or to have all the answers. So how about a few of you e mail suggestions to them or you could also go to a meeting to suggest things.

The best one to me is a resolution to have the sit down with the owners of this plaza on stimulating, businesses to move there,not from local, towns close by, but from futher away so as to create diversity and new job growth.

Merely click on the link and it should open your e mail program or paste it in your e-mail program in the "to Box".

Warren Town Council 401-245-7554

Christopher W. Stanley, President voteforstanley@cox.net

David S. Frerichs, Vice-President dbffarm@aol.com

Davison Bolster davisonbeaux@juno.com

Scott Lial scottlial@gmail.com

Catherine A. Tattrie riemt@aol.com

Well auto zone is by far, a large store, I fear it will also put Samson's, which is about a 1,000 ft away or out of business, a great local store I and im sure many others have used for decades, though I will continue to use it unless they do not have the part. keeping these local business open are also a good thing in my opinion.