The state's plan to redevelop the long-vacant Chase Marina site on Riverside Avenue into a commercial fishing hub may soon have new life, a year after DEM officials first began speaking publicly about their plans to redevelop the waterfront property, and after months and months with little to no outward signs of activity on the project.

The state has owned the vacant marina, its slips, and the quarter acre property on which it sits since the completion of the new Sakonnet River Bridge. The property passed from the DOT to DEM in October 2021. While the state currently runs two commercial ports — one in Galilee and the other, Pier 9 in Newport — officials have long sought a third in the East Bay area, the former DEM project leader, Bob Ballou, said. Last year, the DEM sent out a call for informal proposals for the property that jibe with their concept for the site: Redeveloping it via a public/private partnership into a first class port, fishing and commercial facility. The DEM received more than 20 responses from commercial fishermen, a local college, and other interested parties, and said they would use them to guide a master plan for the project that would then be reviewed, with more formal proposals solicited at a later date.

"We're thrilled with what we've received" after putting out a call for proposals, Ballou said last year. "It's not necessarily going to be an easy route going forward, but we certainly have a lot of promise and opportunity at this site."

DEM promised last year that the town would be kept abreast of project developments. But following Ballou's retirement from the DEM and his subsequent replacement as lead by DEM official Dan Costa, outward signs that the project is moving forward have dried up. Tiverton Harbor Commission members have taken notice.

The marina is going to "sit there forever if they don’t do anything,” Dave Stewart, a member of the commission, said recently. “It has a lot of potential — we want to get this going.”

Now, there is some sign of movement. Commission members recently spoke to Rep. Jay Edwards of Tiverton, who said he was told that discussion on the project's current state will likely take place at an upcoming Tiverton Town Council meeting.

“This is a really interesting project,” he said. “I think it is going to do a lot of good for this town.”

The state currently has $1.3 million in state funds earmarked for the development and is seeking more through Rhode Island's federal congressional delegation. Edwards confirmed that the DEM’s initial estimated price tag of around $4 to $5 million to redevelop the site is still accurate.