Warwick Grove opens postal building and breaks ground for neighborhood center

Warwick - One building is designed to sow the seeds of community and the other is to be the center of neighborhood life. On Sunday, April 9, Leyland Alliance, developer of Warwick Grove, a new traditional neighborhood in Warwick, celebrated the opening of its postal building and a ground breaking for a neighborhood center, scheduled to open in early 2007. The Warwick Grove Post Office is a classic Greek Revival building designed by DeGraw & DeHaan Architects of Middletown. In addition to mail boxes for every resident, the building, which bears an intentional resemblance to the Warwick Village Hall, offers a bulletin board, a sorting table, convenient postal supplies and plenty of open space. But more important, say the developers, it’s a place where residents pick up their mail and perhaps stop to chat with their neighbors. “This is one way a sense of community is fostered,” said Monica Quigley, vice president of sales and marketing for Leyland Alliance. “The postal building is where our residents come to collect their mail and bump into friends and neighbors. And that’s when they exchange greetings, catch up and talk about the news of the day. You never do that when your mail is delivered to your door.” The Neighborhood Center, designed by Donald Powers Architects, Inc. of Providence, R.I., will feature a library, fitness center and outdoor pool. There will also be gathering rooms for club meetings, classes or informal get-togethers. “This event marks another important milestone for our award winning development,” said Quigley. Warwick Grove was planned according to the principles of traditional neighborhood design. The planned adult community development, whose entrance is just off Forester Avenue, is the recipient of six of the building industry’s most prestigious awards.