The Comprehensive Plan for Providence passed the first of two City Council votes on Nov. 7, and throughout the amendment process, one proposal snagged headlines: a potential ban on the construction of new gas stations within Providence city limits.
In the finalized version of the plan, the ban isn’t really a ban at all — new gas stations can still be built with a special-use permit in areas deemed unfit for residential use.
But still, many Councilors had serious reservations about the proposal, while others were frustrated that the ban did not go far enough. Councilors against the proposal worried about gas prices potentially increasing with the ban, or further burdening working-class residents who need to drive to and from their jobs. Those in support of the ban discussed decarbonization and whether Providence will hit its net zero emissions goals.
Amid all the politics, PPS wanted to take a look at the data — how many gas stations exist in Providence? And how many were built in the last five, 10, or 20 years? Would a ban or partial ban change how many gas stations are being built throughout the city?
According to Google Maps data, which was then cross-referenced with the Catalis Tax & CAMA Assessor’s Database for the City of Providence, there are 46 gas stations in Providence currently. The year each station was built was obtained from the Assessor’s Database, and for those stations built after the year 2000, the approximate year built was confirmed with Rhode Island Aerial Photography. (There may still be inaccuracies in our data from the Assessor’s database or Google Maps; please email info@ppsri.org with corrections or more accurate information.)
PPS found that of the 46 existing gas stations within Providence, 10 of them had been built in the last two decades. Just one of the 46 have been built since 2019 — Neon Market Place at 288 Kinsley Avenue, built in 2022. That same year, the nearby Irving Oil at 38 Pleasant Valley Parkway was completely renovated.
And since 2014, a total of two completely new gas stations have been built in Providence.
The above chart shows that of the gas stations still standing, most were built in the 1960s.
Several 7-Elevens were built in the early 2000s, representing another spike in the construction of gas stations which still exist today.
The majority of gas stations within Providence City limits were built in the 20th century — more recent additions comprise about 30% of the existing stock.
So in Providence, gas stations are not being built en masse. Only three have been built in the last decade. While the full ban on new gas stations in the city did not make the final Comp Plan, it may launch a longer discussion about gas stations and their effects throughout the city.
This story has been updated to reflect that the Irving Oil on Pleasant Valley Parkway was renovated, not built, in 2022. Aerial imagery places the original construction of the station around 1995.
By Katy Pickens / Planning & Preservation Writer / kpickens@ppsri.org