#MiddletownRI announces plans Tuesday to work with the City of Newport, the Newport Housing Authority and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County to make the Florence Gray Center even more of a community hub for all.
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CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 842-6543 or msheley@middletownri.com
MIDDLETOWN, NEWPORT & MORE TEAM UP
TO TRY TO RAISE ALL WITH FEDERAL COVID AID DOLLARS
NEWPORT, R.I. (JULY 16, 2024) – Middletown is pitching in with the renovation of the Florence Gray Center in Newport.
Recently, the town received a $1.3 million Community Learning Centers Municipal Grant, federal dollars aimed at helping people across the Ocean State recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Determining the funding wasn’t enough to do an eligible capital project of its own by the October 2026 deadline, Middletown teamed up with the City of Newport, the Newport Housing Authority and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County to assist with an overhaul the York Street community center instead.
During a media event Tuesday morning from the center, Middletown Healthy Communities Coordinator Lori Turner said the project was another outstanding example of the town working closely with its neighbors to the benefit of all.
Governor Dan McKee and Newport Mayor Xaykham “Xay” Rexford Khamsyvoravong were also on hand for the event along with Newport Housing Authority Executive Director Rhonda Mitchell and Boys & Girls Club of Newport County Executive Director and CEO Joe Pratt, each displaying strong support for the partnership.
“We’re really excited about this collaboration,” Turner said. “I want to say how grateful we are to the governor and his team for creating this program. It’s going to be a game changer for us and to the City of Newport for the chance to collaborate. It’s going to be a significant opportunity for our residents and the community.”
“I think everything that happens that’s really important is on the municipal level,” McKee said. “Municipal leaders have a responsibility in many categories, but they also have a responsibility to every family who lives in their town. For a municipal leader, when we talk about elevating outcomes…you’re connected to every family in the community.”
Speaking about the strength of the Aquidneck Island economy — particularly the tourism sector — Xay said there’s much more to the area than just its beaches and beauty, something the center will look to tap into more than ever before.
“We know we have a very robust vacation economy,” Xay said. “But what’s equally important here, the actual anchors that employ the majority of the people who can afford to live and work here, places like Naval Station Newport, Newport Hospital, Salve Regina University, these entities need a talented and trained workforce and there’s also emerging industries of the future, the ‘Blue Economy’ and others, we need to make sure our residents are prepared to work.”
“This project is so mission aligned with what we’re already doing,” Mitchell said. “We’ve been involved with the community engagement process and looking at how we tackle issues around poverty, how we bring economic opportunity and access and spread that throughout the community.”
“As you come up to the (remodeled Florence Gray Center) facility, you’re going to thrilled and pleased at what you see,” Pratt said. “The capital work will allow us to make this more welcoming…and more flexible to provide services that are individual based or group based with enhanced technology."
Everyone at the table continued that many of the issues facing each community don’t stop at the town-city line.
“The value of what we’re doing is statewide,” McKee said. “It’s in every home, everyday, that learning matters. That’s the key culture shift and if we’re able to coordinate that with our municipal leadership to have a responsibility to everyone who lives in a community, whether economically challenged or not.”
“We say ‘What is it that you need to succeed?’ and how does that align with the data actually tells us,” Xay said. “We’ve built coalitions. We have worked across lines and the challenges we’re facing — viruses, workforce training and education — these aren’t things that stop at that border to Middletown and say ‘You know what? We’re going to stay back here in Viking territory.’ We think about how we’ve built partnerships regionally to try to tackle some of these big challenges and we’re so lucky to have the good partners we do.”
Middletown first learned it was in line to receive the COVID money last year. It was part of more than $112 million in post pandemic capital improvement money delegated to Rhode Island by the federal government.
Under grant rules, the funding could only be spent on capital improvement projects like building renovations. There’s also a requirement that the money assisted those impacted by COVID-19, such as school afterschool learning programs, workforce development and healthcare monitoring.
Excited about the prospects for its share of the funding, the town looked at a number of options to create a new community center, something currently not offered in Middletown.
Several locations were considered before the “Little Oliphant” building was selected as the most promising location. The former schoolhouse at the corner of West Main Road and Oliphant Lane is now home to the school’s maintenance staff.
However, proposals to renovate and overhaul the building told another story. Each came back well in excess of the $1.3 million, so the town decided to shift gears to find another spot to spend the COVID dollars.
Speaking with city officials, the Florence Gray Center project emerged as a perfect opportunity, especially with Newport Housing Authority and The Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County partnering as well.
Longterm, Middletown is focusing on creating a community center at what’s now the Aquidneck School. That Reservoir Road building is slated for closure as part of the ongoing middle-high school project and realignment of the entire school district.
The plan is to transform the school building into a multi-purpose hub for the town, where people could learn a new language in one classroom while a community speaker could be presenting down the hall. Middletown does not have a dedicated space for such operations, with a mix of buildings filling those needs currently. Visit https://mdl.town/SBC for more about the middle-high school effort.
“We’re excited about the Florence Gray Center,” Turner said. “It’s centrally located between both communities, it’s on the bus line and it’s easily accessible. It’s a great location and a great opportunity to work together. There’s a great history here.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Team
