The man behind many of the state’s major developments, including Chapel View in Cranston and the Crowne Plaza Hotel and adjoining office buildings, is being remembered for his long-term vision.

Alfred Carpionato, chairman and CEO of the Carpionato Group, died Saturday at the age of 75. In Warwick, Mr. Carpionato saw the potential for a depleted sand and gravel pit near the East Avenue exit to Route 95 as the location for more than just a hotel but also an upscale venue offering facilities for large meetings, a ballroom and conferences. Many Greenwood residents feared the development as a potential source of noise and traffic and opposed it in planning and zoning hearings as well as before the City Council.

Many of those same objectors became some of Mr. Carpionato’s strongest advocates after seeing his attention to the quality of the development, landscaping and, in the case of the Crowne and the property across from it where he built a plaza including a Stop & Shop and Lowe’s, his investment with the state on the reconfiguration of the Greenwich, Main and East Avenue intersection.

“It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of a Warwick visionary and longtime investor in the community, Alfred Carpionato,” said Mayor Joseph Solomon in a statement. “Mr. Carpionato has been a leading pioneer in the State of Rhode and a visionary who developed top-notch residential and commercial projects not only in the City of Warwick but all across New England.”

Speaker of the House Rep. Nicholas Mattiello said Monday he was saddened by Mr. Carpionato’s death. Speaking of Chapel View, he expressed awe in how the collection of deteriorating state buildings were either replaced or transformed into the development that is there today.

“He built well,” said Mattiello.

It is an observation shared by K. Joseph Shekarchi, who served as one of Mr. Carpionato’s attorneys and represented him before municipal boards.

Shekarchi said Carpionato “had great vision and built so many outstanding projects…he didn’t build it for today but for tomorrow.”

In a statement released Saturday, Warwick resident, president and COO of the Carpionato Group Kelly MacArthur Coates said, “Mr. Carpionato was a self-made man who truly lived the American Dream. He took great pride in his family, his work and he always believed in the potential of the people who lived and worked in Rhode Island. While never seeking the spotlight, he never wavered in his commitment to investing in New England. He developed destinations that truly enhanced communities and was a catalyst for meaningful economic development and job creation. He was also a quiet philanthropist whose generosity knew no bounds."

The release issued by the company said Mr. Carpionato passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and loved ones. He is survived by his wife Sheryl (Costantino) Carpionato, who has been by his side for the past 30 years; his sisters Iliana Luchka and Attilia Renzi; and his children, Domenic and Louis Carpionato. He was born in Providence and was the son of the late Louis and Anna Carpionato.

Mr. Carpionato began his career working for his father's residential construction business as a teenager. He later gained invaluable experience traveling and working in Boston, Florida and California with some of the top developers of that era. He returned to Rhode Island to take a position with the family business. At the age of 15 he bought his first building in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence and renovated the units into apartments. By the time he was 21 he had begun transitioning the company into a highly successful commercial real estate firm.

Mr. Carpionato created a true legacy with the Carpionato Group, which today has more than 6 million square feet of property within its portfolio encompassing Class A retail, office, residential and hospitality space. The company's signature properties include Chapel View in Cranston, the Crowne Plaza in Warwick and the Avon Town Center project currently under construction in Connecticut. The Carpionato Group has 500 employees working on $1.5 billion in development projects.

Many of the Carpionato projects are in transition, including the 26 Benny’s properties acquired by the company, as well as Newport Grand Casino.

“Losing him is a great loss for our state and our real estate community. My thoughts and prayers are with Fred and his family," said former Providence Mayor Joseph R. Paolino Jr. in a statement.

Cranston Mayor Allan Fung said in a statement, “Fred was one of the state’s most successful developers and entrepreneurs, and his mark on the community can be seen everywhere. He was also a stickler for detail and spared no expense to do the job right. Fred could see into the future and knew that Cranston deserved something special in the heart of our city.”

Mr. Carpionato also had the foresight to plan for his own transition to ensure his legacy continued, that his investments were well managed and his employees were protected. In this effort, Mr. Carpionato created a private trust led by a four-member board of trustees that would guide the company upon his death.

The four trustees selected by Mr. Carpionato include the president of the company, Kelly Coates and company controller Gary Famiglietti – both of whom have worked with the company for over 30 years – Mr. Carpionato's wife, Sheryl, who is a vice president of the company, and Angelo Marocco, who has served as Mr. Carpionato's personal attorney for more than 40 years. Mr. Coates will continue to lead the day-to-day operations as president and chief operating officer of the company.

"Mr. Carpionato planned for this day and he established management structures that have set the company on a path of continued success and growth. For over three decades, many of us on the executive team were blessed to have the opportunity to work with Mr. Carpionato and help make his vision become a reality. We have a strong team at the Carpionato Group that includes his son, Domenic. Together, with the benefit of so many years of Mr. Carpionato's counsel and guidance, the executive team will continue to ensure his legacy is maintained and his vision achieved," Coates said in the release.

Mr. Carpionato served on the board of Rhode Island Hospital and was a member of the Rhode Island Commodores. He was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2017 and supported the restoration of the Cliff Walk in Newport.

At Mr. Carpionato's request, his service and burial will be private.