The building is home to 13 small shops and restaurants and some of its storefronts are vacant.
The building’s owners had planned to defer the revamping until later this year. They rescheduled the work after one of their highest-paying tenants, Johansson’s Bakery, opted to relocate to Johnson & Wales University’s hospitality facility in Seekonk, Mass.

Polisena’s trying to find businesses to occupy various vacant storefronts along Johnston’s major thoroughfares, including an opening in the small strip-small adjacent to Town Hall, just off Atwood Avenue. Another vacancy is the old McDonald’s building on Hartford Avenue.

Most of the merchants in The Arcade aren’t interested in leaving Providence. Some have been in town for several decades.

Polisena said he can’t negotiate mortgages for anyone or guarantee that a particular business is going to be successful, but he’s ready to do whatever he can to help people get started.

He emphasized that small businesses are important to the community, too; his administration has rolled out the red carpet for a handful of big businesses, including FedEx Ground, A. Duie Pyle and FM Global.

“It’s nice to have the FM Globals and the A. Duie Pyles and stuff,” Polisena said. “Small business is the backbone of our community.”