Warwick never needed a tax credit program to attract development, or at least that’s the way it’s always looked.

Going back, there was open land beyond the villages – whether on Jefferson Boulevard, West Shore Road or even Warwick Avenue – for the growth of commercial and industrial businesses and retail centers like Gateway Plaza near Hoxsie Four Corners. Then came Route 95 and Midland Mall. That was followed by Warwick Mall in the early 1970s and the development of Route 2. It wasn’t limited to commercial and retail growth, either. Single-family housing replaced the farm and woodlands. Entire neighborhoods like Governor Francis Farms and Diamond Hill were developed.

Incentives weren’t needed to attract development – the demand was apparent, and the risks were minimal.

It seemed the same would hold true for redevelopment near the airport, especially during the boom in airline passenger traffic following the opening of the Bruce Sundlun Terminal and the discount fares offered by Southwest Airlines. Green Airport became the fastest growing airport in the country.

Former Mayor Lincoln Chafee envisioned greater opportunity by connecting the airport and Amtrak and rezoning about 100 acres for a mix of office, retail, and residential uses. An agreement was reached with a Massachusetts firm that was given the power to assemble privately held properties and come forward with proposed developments. We know what happened – nothing. The exception was the initiative taken by Joseph Piscopio, who built the Hilton Gardens Inn and redeveloped the offices of the Malleable Iron Works to make the Iron Works Tavern.

Mayor Scott Avedisian brought fresh energy to what was being viewed as a new core to the city. With the Interlink completed, commuter rail service, and Chafee now governor, federal grants flowed into planning. Developers liked what they saw and so did the city, which moved ahead with zoning approvals. The area was branded Warwick City Centre.

The architect renderings were beautiful. It seemed that in no time cranes would line the skyline and a new Warwick would rise. Of course, we know it didn’t happen, but this background is important to keep in context regarding the tax stabilization agreement the City Council will consider next month.

If approved – all nine council members have already endorsed the plan – the TSA will give the city its first tax credit program. The incentive is limited to the 111-acre Intermodal District that makes up City Centre. This is hardly a free ticket to developers. To qualify for a TSA, which would require approval by the Tax Assessor, developers would have to show their proposed project would mean at least $5 million in new development. (It wouldn’t apply to a company looking to relocate offices from Cranston to Warwick, for example.) It would carry strict timing requirements and a sunset provision. In return, the base property assessment would be fixed for five years, after which the assessment of the improved property would be phased in at 10 percent a year until the full value is reached by the 15th year of the program. At the current commercial tax rate, the TSA would give a $1.5 million tax break to a $5 million project over 15 years.

There is more to this. The Warwick TSA would dovetail with new construction and job creation incentives drafted by the state Commerce Corporation and enacted into law. As City Planner William DePasquale put it in a recent interview, “everybody has skin in the game” – the developer, the city, and the state.

One really needn’t ask why this is needed. A look at all the grand schemes and lack of development in what is now touted as Warwick City Centre tells the story. There have been some great dreams, but really, not much has happened.

The reason is obvious. The cost of redeveloping land in a confined area is high. Developers are faced with environmental issues and must build structured parking into their projects, which pushes up prices. It’s no wonder that Citizens Bank chose the woodlands of Johnston, where they are getting a sweet tax deal from Mayor Joseph Polisena over what was once the Elizabeth Mill site on Jefferson Boulevard for its corporate campus.

We congratulate Councilmen Steve Merolla and Joseph Solomon for pursuing a TSA, and Mayor Avedisian for fine-tuning the concept with appropriate controls. It is rare that the administrative and legislative branches of Warwick city government are in unanimous agreement. They have it right. City Centre needs a kick-start. It’s time to try a TSA.