Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published by Rhode Island Current on January 14, 2026. Reprinted with permission.
Recovery grants will soon become available to help Providence East Side businesses impacted during the roughly five-day manhunt for the gunman responsible for killing two students and injuring nine others at Brown University in December.
State and city grants enhanced by matching funds from Brown are making $45,000 available to three merchant associations whose members operate in areas surrounding the Ivy League campus, city officials announced Monday.
The campus is embedded in a residential area dotted with hotspots of commercial and retail activity. The popular shopping and dining destination Thayer Street is adjacent to where the Dec. 13 shooting took place at Brown’s Barus & Holley building.
The Thayer District Merchant Association, the Wickenden Area Merchant Association and the Wayland Square Merchants Association are the recipients. Contributing $15,000 each are the city of Providence, Rhode Island Commerce and Brown.
“Many of our local businesses felt the impact of this tragedy in numerous ways, including a dramatic reduction in foot traffic just before Christmas,” Smiley said in a statement. “The City’s investment is aimed at supporting our small businesses and neighborhood commercial districts during a difficult moment.”
The police presence and general unease on College Hill led to business owners reporting disruptions and reduced business. The grants are meant to “help merchants recover, retain customers and keep these corridors active and resilient,” according to Smiley’s statement.
In her statement, Brown President Christina H. Paxson said that neighboring businesses and residents aided the campus community and “provided crucial help” in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, which killed two Brown students and injured nine others.
“We are forever grateful for their support,” Paxson wrote. “The merchants in these commercial districts play a tremendous role in sustaining a thriving local community that generations of Brown community members know and love, and we appreciate the opportunity to match these grants as one way to express our gratitude.”
The merchant associations will receive the grants directly and oversee how the monies are spent, according to the city’s announcement.
Alexander Castro covers education, health and technology for Rhode Island Current. He previously worked as a visual arts critic, curator and adjunct professor.
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