New life is injected into plans to remake the lower Aquidneck Avenue area after a pair of area residents ask the Town -- and National Grid -- to take another look at the beautification project.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Matt Sheley at (401) 712-2221 or msheley@middletownri.com
LOWER AQUIDNECK AVENUE
IMPROVEMENTS STILL IN PLAY
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (NOVEMBER 29, 2021) – When a $20 million price tag was released to underground utilities along lower Aquidneck Avenue, it appeared like the project was dead in the water.
Maybe not now, thanks to a revived effort by the Town of Middletown.
At the recommendation of the Middletown Economic Development Advisory Committee (MEDAC), Town Council President Paul M. Rodrigues will send a letter to National Grid representatives, asking for another look at the project.
Attorney Robert M. Silva said the goal is to spark a renewed conversation about the area, seen as one of the gateways into Middletown and a potential showpiece for years to come.
“These alternative suggestions are as such that we feel it will not cost the same amount of money…” Silva said. “It would be a major change, we think, in what it would look like down in that district.”
The look, feel and accessibility of the lower Aquidneck Avenue area has been a subject of local discussion going back a decade.
While some see an untapped gem that could become a true destination for Middletown, others warn that overdevelopment could ruin the beachfront neighborhood forever.
In addition to burying the utilities, the Town talked about improving parking, the sidewalks, crosswalks, lighting and overall look and feel of the neighborhood.
However, when the estimated price tag for the utility work was estimated at $17 million to $20 million plus, local leaders pumped the brakes on the proposal, saying that was too rich for the Town.
Then, Silva said resident Melissa Welch and James Farrar of Farrar & Associates Inc. Construction Management breathed new life into the project.
Meeting with MEDAC, Silva said Welch and Farrar spoke about how a scaled down version of the effort, where the utility lines in the area would be consolidated and reworked. That way, the necessary power would be delivered, but the visual impact from the lines was minimized. Welch is the sister of council Vice President Thomas Welch III.
Silva said the concept also meshed well with discussion about the creation of a new public boardwalk that’s been considered along the Easton Pond reservoir behind several businesses in the area.
“I think we should look into the compatibility of both those concepts,” Silva said “We’re in favor of that walkway. It’s a great tourism attraction and working with the businesses in that area, if we can find sufficient parking…you could upgrade that entire area.”
“It’s certainly worth the discussion and exploring it,” council President Paul M. Rodrigues said. “There’s two answers in this world — ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’ I think it’s a great idea and I think we should move forward. If we can’t afford to bury the lines for the cost between $17 million and $20, $21 million, let’s look at other alternatives. You guys have done a great job coming up with some good solutions.”
####
