The Town Council says public hearings for "#MiddletownRI Center" are getting pushed back because the final draft documents haven't been filed. Make up dates were not announced Monday night. Visit MC for more.
“MIDDLETOWN CENTER” PUBLIC HEARINGS POSTPONED
MIDDLETOWN, RI (JUNE 2, 2025) – Town Council public hearings on the “Middletown Center” project are being rescheduled.
Local leaders said once the final draft documents are submitted to the town by the “Middletown Center” development team, the council will set new dates for two public hearings for the mixed use project at 600-740 West Main Road.
The dates of June 23 and 30 had been widely discussed for the hearings at Gaudet Middle School, but had never formally been approved by the council. That was supposed to happen Monday night in Town Hall, but was not possible without final draft documents.
And with cost of advertising and taping the hearings reaching more than $21,000, town leaders said it made no sense to press those dates when those sessions would need to be cancelled anyway.
New meeting dates were not announced Monday night. Town officials said local leaders needed to sit with representatives for the project developers and determine when the hearings could be rescheduled in coming weeks.
“Obviously, (postponing the public hearings) is not ideal, but we’re going to do this once and do it right,” council President Paul M. Rodrigues said. “There’s a process that needs to followed and we’re not exempt from that. We have to follow the laws just like everyone else.”
The council signed off on a development agreement with Chris Bicho, James Karam and Rocky Kempenaar for the former Navy Lodge property, West Main Road Recreational Complex, Middletown Public Library and former Kennedy School site in October 2024. To view that document, visit https://mdl.town/MC-Lease online.
Middletown’s desire to redevelop the site in the center of its commercial district has been well known 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.
The Planning Board gave the “Middletown Center” concept from Bicho, Karam and Kempenaar a positive advisory recommendation in late April, with about two dozen conditions.
Among those included increasing the number of affordable housing units, inserting language noting 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 and more.
A vocal group has opposed the current proposal, saying it wasn’t what was envisioned for the 15 acres located in the center of Middletown’s commercial district.
There have been concerns about the need for another hotel and bank and why the town wasn’t getting more from the development. An increase in traffic, stormwater runoff and related issues have been cited.
They’ve also said the loss of the West Main Road Recreational Complex — including Pottsy Field — was disrespectful to the memory of Sgt. Christopher Potts, who played softball there. White signs with black lettering have started showing up on lawns across the community.
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 called as “Middletown Commons” — was presented by the developers as part of a town Request For Information (RFI) process.
Town officials and developers have said the core of the plan — a 144-room extended stay hotel, 150 apartment units, commercial-retail spaces and a community park — have remained the same since then.
The one major difference was the town’s decision to relocate the Middletown Public Library to 110 Enterprise Center.
Town officials said that move was made to save at least $14 million on 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.
By removing the library from West Main Road, local leaders said it creates more of an opportunity to transform an underutilized space into a new, dynamic community gathering space on the west side of Middletown.
In recent weeks, the Middletown Center Citizens Advisory Committee (MCCAC) has been meeting to solicit input on how best to reuse five acres of open space in the northern section of the development site. For more, visit https://mdl.town/MC-CAC online.
The volunteer board has been recharged by the council to work with the “Middletown Center” developers, the family of Sgt. Potts, the surrounding neighborhoods and others to create a welcoming, engaging community gathering space for all of Middletown. No restrictions were imposed on what the MCCAC could propose, other than the land be “maintained for public recreational purposes."
Even if “Middletown Center” gets approval of multiple changes now before the council, there’s still a lengthy review process before a shovel goes in the ground. This includes master plan and final plan review as well as permits from the town, state Department of Environmental Management and state Department of Transportation.
Going back more than 15 years plus, local leaders have said the “Middletown Center” concept was critical for the community.
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 important, they’ve said, because the “Middletown Center” property in the heart of the town’s commercial district hasn’t generated a cent in taxes since the World War II era.
“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 brings 150 new apartments, including 18 units classified as affordable. This is important to help provide homes to those already living here as well as the hundreds of new families connected to Naval Station Newport and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expected in the next couple years.
Further, the community also gets the new library it needs and deserves at 110 Enterprise Center as well as an important community gathering spot on the west side of Middletown.
Document Link: https://mdl.town/Center-Resked
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
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401-842-6543
msheley@middletownri.gov