Rhode Island

Providence City Council accepts settlement to evict Skyline at Waterplace – The Boston Globe

Published

1 year ago

September 9, 2024

Providence City Council accepts settlement to evict Skyline at Waterplace – The Boston Globe

“It can and should be a great venue for events and for special occasions,” Smiley said. “This operator was not the person to help realize that vision, which is why I pushed so hard to get rid of them.”

Skyline’s lawyer Michael Lepizzera said the company will work with the city to formally memorialize the settlement and voluntarily turn over possession of the premises.

“While Skyline is disappointed that this will mark the close of its operations, the owner is satisfied that a settlement has been reached,” Lepizzera said in a statement. “The original plan was to operate a top scale event facility on the city’s skyline for a minimum of 20 years, which was the term of the lease. Unfortunately, a confluence of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events (especially the pandemic) prevented my client from achieving its business goal.”

Skyline was headed by Rhode Island entrepreneur Michael A. Mota, and the company included his father-in-law, Joseph Ricci, and wife Jodi Mota. Louis Delpidio, a Boston nightclub operator, and David Pontarelli, a former city employee, were also involved when the company began leasing the building in 2016.

At the time, the Skyline at Waterplace group promised then-Mayor Jorge O. Elorza that they had big plans for the venue, which is perched at the edge of the Waterplace Basin.

But the company struggled almost from the beginning, citing issues with construction renovations. So, with Elorza as the chairman, the parks commissioners granted Skyline three abatements that totaled more than three and a half years of rent, in exchange for repairs to the facility. Mota also has claimed, without evidence, that Elorza granted a fourth abatement.

Skyline also received more than $1.8 million in federal COVID relief funds during the pandemic, money that was intended to help keep the business running. Around the same time, Mota launched and sponsored events at Skyline for his Hollywood mobster-themed entertainment and events company, VirtualCons, and his cryptocurrency, VirtualCoin, which was never operable.

Smiley has been trying to evict Skyline since April 2023, citing problems with late rent payments, unpaid taxes, fire code violations, friction with city officials — and recently, a bounced rent check in July and the discovery of the decomposed body of a former employee in August.

According to the police report, the owner of Skyline told officers that the man was homeless and had been given permission to stay at the venue, which had been closed since late July. A statement posted to social media on behalf of the Skyline, the Mota family, and the Ricci family denied that the man was living at the venue. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office told the Globe that the mayor’s office it never would have approved letting someone live there.

Before the settlement was reached, Skyline had been heading for a trial in Superior Court this fall.

“This will enable us to close the chapter with this operator who I’ve been trying to evict now for some time,” Smiley said. “This business and venue has effectively been shuttered and only been doing a handful of events. It is a black hole on Waterplace Park and Basin.”

Committee Chairman John Goncalves and city councilmembers Juan Pichardo, Ana Vargas, Shelley Peterson, and Pedro Espinal voted unanimously to adopt the settlement. The terms were not released Monday. Representatives for Skyline could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday.

“The Skyline space and Waterplace Park are important assets to the city,” Goncalves said in a statement. “With the Providence Parks Department taking over management of the property, we are looking forward to using the future of the space to enhance our city’s downtown.”

Steph Machado of the Globe staff contributed to this report.

Amanda Milkovits can be reached at amanda.milkovits@globe.com. Follow her @AmandaMilkovits.

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Related Topics:Featured Mayor Brett Smiley Michael Mota Skyline at Waterplace Skyline black hole Skyline eviction VirtualCons

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Rhode Island

Thousands drop public health insurance coverage in RI after premiums spike

Published

12 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Thousands drop public health insurance coverage in RI after premiums spike

Thousands of Rhode Islanders dropped their health insurance plans after federal subsidies expired.
Enrollment in HealthSource RI, the state’s marketplace, fell by 20% in early 2024.
The average premium for enrollees more than doubled as federal funding ended.

Thousands of Rhode Islanders dropped health insurance coverage through Rhode Island’s public insurance marketplace instead of maintaining plans with rising premiums and lower subsidies, HealthSource RI said.

Enrollment through HealthSource, Rhode Island’s “Obamacare” exchange, plunged 20% between the end of last year and the close of the annual enrollment period a month later, as federal funding for premium tax credits expired, according to a HealthSource new release.

There were 48,060 individual and family enrollments on Dec. 31 of last year, the day the premium subsidies from the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act ended.

On Feb. 1, there were 38,557 enrollments.

Before this drop, HealthSource has posted enrollment increases almost every year since Affordable Care Act exchanges launched in 2013.

How did we get here?

Last year, the Republican-controlled federal government declined to extend premium tax credits after a protracted budget battle with congressional Democrats, who are now negotiating to restore the health insurance subsidies.

The lapse in subsidies coincided with an increase in premiums, driven by a combination of factors, which sent the total cost of coverage climbing.

The average premium across HealthSource enrollees more than doubled (101%,) the exchange said, or $111 per person, per month.

Many enrollees opted for cheaper insurance plans despite their higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.

Others dropped coverage altogether.

“The increase in premiums, combined with the decrease in federal supports, makes this an incredibly challenging year for folks depending on HealthSource RI for health coverage,” HealthSource Director Lindsay Lang said in the release. “Having health coverage helps protect against one bad turn of luck becoming years of financial burden. We will work with every customer to find options that are best for their needs and budget, and continue to work with state leaders and our federal delegation to find long-term solutions.”

Could help be on the way?

Gov. Dan McKee included $9.5 million in his proposed state budget for the year starting July 1 to subsidize coverage for some of the lowest-income exchange enrollees.

The enrollment declines show that may be too little for some Rhode Islanders, and too late for others.

“It is disheartening but not surprising that, as President Trump’s policies have caused health insurance costs to skyrocket, more Rhode Islanders are struggling to pay for health coverage,” McKee said.

Since the exchange opened in 2013, Rhode Island’s uninsured rate has declined by two thirds, down to 2.2%, HealthSource said.

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Rhode Island

RI Lottery Powerball, Numbers Midday winning numbers for March 9, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 9 drawing

22-23-28-36-54, Powerball: 13, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Numbers numbers from March 9 drawing

Midday: 5-7-4-4

Evening: 2-1-3-2

Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Wild Money numbers from March 9 drawing

02-14-16-34-35, Extra: 10

Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 9 drawing

06-16-26-41-43, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
Winners of the Millionaire for Life top prize of $1,000,000 a year for life and second prize of $100,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.

When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Rhode Island

Spring And Summer Concert Guide: 10 Can’t-Miss Shows In Rhode Island

Published

2 days ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Spring And Summer Concert Guide: 10 Can’t-Miss Shows In Rhode Island

Whether with a stop on a national or international tour or a regional favorite, the spring and summer concert calendar is filling up in Rhode Island.

The Ravers, Newport’s reggae band, comes to Rhode Island in April. There are plenty of concerts in the area that will have you dancing all spring and summer long, including some regional favorites.

We’ve rounded up 10 concerts in Rhode Island that are worth getting on the calendar. And speaking of calendars: Are you planning an event this spring? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!

Here’s what you need to know about upcoming concerts:

Candlelight: Tribute to Queen and The Beatles, March 20, Bishop McVinney Auditorium, Providence
Soulful Sounds in Pawtucket, April 3, Hope Events on Main, Pawtucket
Ravers Night! April 11, Newport Vineyards & Winery, Middletown
Corvettes — Doo Wop Revue, April 19, Courthouse Center for the Arts, Kingstown
“Dancing at the Forty Steps” – Newport Irish Heritage Month flagship event, March 29, the Forty Steps on Cliff Walk, Newport
Newport Classical: Yevgeny Kutik & Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, April 10, Newport Classical Recital Hall, Newport
Newport Classical: Zijian Wei performs Ravel and Liszt, May 8, Newport Classical Recital Hall, Newport
Newport Classical Finale: Amir Hoshang Farsi and Chelsea Wang, June 5, Newport Classical Recital Hall, Newport
An Evening With John Legend, April 26, Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence
Ani DiFranco with Special Guest Valerie June, May 8, Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence

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