News Flash

“MIDDLETOWN CENTER” CLEARED FOR NEXT STEPS

MIDDLETOWN, RI (APRIL 24, 2025) – The Planning Board has given Middletown Center a positive advisory recommendation — with conditions.

At a well-attended meeting Thursday night in the Gaudet Middle School cafetorium, the volunteer board voted unanimously to endorse the most recent version of zoning amendments for the proposed development at 600-740 West Main Road.

The move came after the project development team made about two dozen changes to the plan for the mixed use proposal suggested earlier this month as well as another dozen plus conditions recommended by the Planning Board Thursday night. 

Now, the proposed zoning amendments go to the Town Council for consideration, the next step in the town’s lengthy approval process for Middletown Center.

To begin that review, the council has special meetings planned for June 23 and 30 at 6 pm in the Gaudet cafetorium to consider the application.

“This is not just another mixed-use project,” Planning Board member Stephen Huttler said. “This is a special project."

The planned mixed use development on the former Navy Lodge, West Main Road Recreational Complex, Middletown Public Library and former Kennedy School site has generated discussion in town recently.

Middletown leaders approved a development agreement with Chris Bicho, James Karam and Rocky Kempenaar in October 2024 with relatively little fanfare. To view that document, visit https://mdl.town/MC-Lease online.

The town’s interest in redeveloping the property at the center of its commercial district  has been known publicly since March 2008. That’s when the Navy announced it was surplussing the Navy Lodge lot at the corner of Coddington Highway and West Main Road once home to an off-base hotel.

Over the past several months, concerns have arisen among a vocal group of neighbors and others about different aspects of the project. Some have said the proposal was too much for the wrong area of town and would have negative consequences like more traffic, stormwater runoff and crowding.

A number have questioned the need for another hotel and bank in the area and why the town wasn’t getting more from the development. They’ve also said the loss of the West Main Road Recreational Complex — including Pottsy Field — would be a blow for the entire community.

In response, proponents and the developers disagree, saying the core of the project has been well known since September 2021. That’s when the Middletown Center concept — then known as Middletown Commons — was first rolled out by the developers as part of a Request For Information (RFI) process.

Since then, town officials and developers have noted the core of the plan — a 144-room extended stay hotel, 150 apartment units, commercial-retail spaces and a community park — have remained in tact from Day 1.

They’ve said the one major difference was the town’s relocation of the Middletown Public Library from the project to 110 Enterprise Center. 

Town officials said the move was made to save at least $14 million for the new library along with providing a better location in a single-story structure not possible on West Main Road. For more about that project, visit https://mdl.town/Library-Open-House online.

Local leaders have also said by removing the library from the West Main Road site, it creates more of an opportunity to form a community gathering space in the center part of Middletown. 

Last month, the Middletown Center Citizens Advisory Committee (MCCAC) was recharged with coming up with an open space plan for five acres at the northern section of the development site. 

The volunteer board was asked to work with the Middletown Center developers, the family of Sgt. Christopher S. Potts, the surrounding neighborhoods and others to create a community gathering space. No restrictions were imposed on what the MCCAC could propose, other than the land be “maintained for public recreational purposes."

Opening Thursday night’s meeting, town officials said the Middletown Center development group had formally submitted a revised draft of the overlay zoning district. Among the changes included:

• Making the zoning for the development site limited business.
• Adding language to note the importance of the location as a gateway to Middletown that must be pedestrian friendly and fosters community use.
• Removing department stores and supermarkets as permitted uses by right.
• Inserting language mandating stormwater best management practices be amplified as much as possible, including the use of rain gardens, tree wells and the like.
• Reintroducing a larger landscaped park-like area at the corner of West Main Road and Coddington Highway, a 600-square-foot space that must include a “gateway feature” like a clocktower, windmill or lighthouse.
• Limiting any roof antennas to be no more than eight feet tall and requiring screening.
• Bumping the number of “affordable housing” units to 18, meaning 12 percent of the total 150 apartments would be classified as affordable.
• Mandating the hotel would be no more than four stories and 55 feet tall.
• Clarifying that items not covered in the overlay district would be covered in Section 521 of the town’s design standards, which stress a “New England village aesthetic.”
• Specifying personal and professional service businesses, movie theaters, billiard rooms and places of worship all require special use permit approval before being allowed.
• Setting times for deliveries and Dumpster emptying from 7 am-8 pm.
• Requiring all rooftop equipment like heating and air conditioning units be screened from view.
• Making it clear that landscaping should make up at least 10 percent of the overall project.

Other items addressed by the Planning Board Thursday night included:

• Inserting language making it clear the entire project must be pedestrian and family friendly.
• Requiring stores be no bigger than 15,000 square feet.
• Specifying hospital spaces must get a special-use permit, with medical clinics allowed by right. 
• All cellular antennas must be shielded and no more than eight feet tall.
• A drive thru window for a bank would be allowed by right, with every other drive thru window needing a special-use permit.
• Mandating six- and 12-month leases for all apartments, with no short-term rentals allowed.
• Allowing one hotel on the entire property.
• Making lunch counters and similar establishments serving alcohol to get a special-use permit.
• Having the project comply with the town’s lighting regulations.
• Not allowing the zone changes to move forward until the federal  deed restrictions on the West Main Road Recreational Complex — including Pottsy Field — are addressed.

Because the public hearing was closed at the end of the last meeting, the Planning Board did not take comments from the audience of more than 120 people Thursday night.

The next chance residents, businesspeople and others will have a chance to provide thoughts and feedback are at the council’s special meetings in late June. 

From the outset, local leaders have said Middletown Center was a critical project for the community for a number of reasons.

For one, it’s expected to generate more than $1.1 million in new revenues for the town at a time when the cost of everything is going up. By adding new money to the town’s coffers, they’ve said everyone should benefit.

This was especially important, they’ve said, because the Middletown Center property in the heart of the town’s commercial center hasn’t generated a cent in taxes since the World War II era.

They’ve said Middletown Center also creates important extended stay rooms for military personnel and other visitors to the area and should help improve competitiveness in the  tight lodging sector.

Besides adding hotel rooms, they’ve said the project creates much needed workforce housing. This is especially true to provide homes to those already living here and with hundreds of new families expected to move locally with growth projected at Naval Station Newport and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the horizon.

Further, the project gives the town the library it needs and deserves at 110 Enterprise Center as well as an important community gathering spot on the west side of Middletown. 

The MCCAC started meeting earlier this month to begin its work for the open space portion of the project. The group was given up to a year to complete its efforts. For more, visit https://mdl.town/MC-CAC online.

Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-PB-MC-Advisory

About Middletown

The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.

Media Contact

Matt Sheley

Public Affairs Officer

401-842-6543

msheley@middletownri.gov