Controversy over Station Nightclub site

WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) – A rift between elected officials and the Station Nightclub Memorial Fund has led to a controversy over how the land at the site of the Station Nightclub fire should be obtained.

Governor Lincoln Chafee and House Speaker Gordon Fox say that they are open to talking about using the power of eminent domain in order to attain the site of the fire on 211 Cowesett Avenue, in order to build a permanent memorial for the fire victims.

The Station Nightclub Memorial Fund leaders feel that a memorial should be put up in the Cowesett Avenue location, but they are comparing using the power of eminent domain to stealing the property.

Gina Russo, the Secretary of the Station Nightclub Memorial Foundation survived burns over more than forty percent of her body, and lost her fiancée the night of the fire.

Russo says that, "We have parents of children who are getting older and their child has still not been memorialized, I need to be patient to get that done for them. ”

As of now, an LLC owns the property, and Russo says that several letters that have been written to the LLC have gone unanswered.

The support for taking the land offered by Governor Chafee and Speaker Gordon Fox is not welcomed by the Memorial foundation leaders.

Russo states, "We are adamantly opposed to taking the land by eminent domain, that for us would be an extremely last resort tactic. ”

The foundation wants to meet with the Governor as soon as possible and in the meantime they will continue to try to contact the property owners.

Russo remains optimistic that they will be able to attain the Cowesett Avenue property.

Eyewitness News has also reached out to the owners of the property, but so far have not received a response.