Crime & Safety
Station Fire Property Owner Donates Land for Memorial
Property transfer papers were filed at West Warwick Town Hall on Friday.
West Warwick property owner Ray Villanova has agreed to donate the site of The Station nightclub for use as a permanent memorial to the 100 people killed in the Feb. 2003 blaze.
Villanova's lawyer, Dan McKiernan filed papers at West Warwick Town Hall on Friday morning transferring the land to the Station Fire Memorial Foundation.
The decision brings closure to a long-standing effort to secure the site of the tragedy by families of those killed.
Find out what's happening in Cranstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The one condition of the transfer is that a suitable memorial be maintained at the site in perpetuity.
Despite Villanova's claims that he always intended the land be used as a memorial, delays have caused much strife for many of the victims' families. Last week, Gov. Lincoln Chafee and House Speaker Gordon Fox said they were looking into the legalities of seizing the land by eminent domain.
Find out what's happening in Cranstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The fire was sparked on Feb. 20, 2003 by pyrotechnics for the rock band Great White.
Among the victims were several from Cranston. They are:
Steven Thomas Blom, 38; Edward Ervanian, 29; James Gooden, 37; Abbie L. Hoisington, 28; Michael Hoogasian, 31; Sandy Hoogasian, 27; and Keith A. Mancini, 34.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
