Newport, Rhode Island’s City Council voted last week to apply a six-month moratorium to decisions for developing a site where the Newport Grand Casino operated for decades before being relocated to Tiverton.
This site has been designated as a mixed-use innovation district with a $100 million redevelopment project planned. The developer, the Carpionato Group called the vote “unfortunate” and declared that the delay “hurts this $100 million project, the innovation district and the surrounding neighbors.”
Gregg Perry, spokesman for the group, said many critics feel that the project had been fast-tracked, something he said “is simply not true.”
He told the Patch: “Indeed, we never expected this project to be approved and permitted overnight … The real issue here is that development is happening in Newport, and apparently there are some people who are nervous about that progress, but singling out one area of the city for a moratorium like this is the wrong way to go about addressing those concerns. In terms of next steps, all options are on the table.”
The Newport Grand closed last year. The redevelopment plan includes a 52,000-square-foot resort with two hotels, two six-story apartment buildings, and 65,000 square feet of retail shopping and parking. The goal is to drive tourism to the area during the off-season.
