EAST PROVIDENCE — The promoters of the Bold Point Park concert series in city have purchased the nearby parcel of land known as South Quay with an eye towards building a permanent venue as part of …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
Register to post eventsIf you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here. Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content. |
Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.
EAST PROVIDENCE — The promoters of the Bold Point Park concert series in city have purchased the nearby parcel of land known as South Quay with an eye towards building a permanent venue as part of a larger mixed use project.
In the press release issued Thursday morning, July 18, the city, the Waterfront Commission, Rhode Island Waterfront Enterprises LLC and Live Nation, the national booking agency, announced the sale of the land and outlines of the proposed redevelopment plan. Papers filed with the office of City Clerk Samantha Burnett put the purchase price at $4.5 million.
The parties, it said, are in the initial stages of securing the location for a new amphitheater to rehouse the waterfront concert series from Bold Point and also create other local entertainment opportunities. The 33-acre site, formerly owned by the Providence and Worcester Railroad, would be a mixed-use development with plans to also serve as a deepwater port for recreational and tourist boating as well as the state's growing offshore wind industry. The channel leading to the Providence River and Narragansett Bay has been dredged to minus 40 feet.
“We are encouraged by the expansion of the successful Bold Point concert series within our Waterfront District. This proposal advances our goals for a vibrant mixed-use development that will grow jobs and increase public access to our city’s waterfront,” said Waterfront Commission chairman Bill Fazioli in the statement.
According to the release, R.I. Waterfront Enterprises LLC has planned a “unique mixed-use model” to meet two objectives: helping connect the people of East Providence to the waterfront, and serving the port needs of the offshore wind industry. The release continued, the entertainment venue is planned to include an outdoor amphitheater, ample parking and new amenities for warm weather events from May to September. The venue will be booked by Live Nation New England.
East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva is quoted in the release, saying, “It was important for the city to champion this project because it adds to our city’s commercial tax base, as well as solidifies the State of Rhode Island’s commitment to green energy and its position at the forefront of offshore wind energy.”