Could a Tiverton marina become RI's next commercial fishing hub? DEM has a vision
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TIVERTON — The state Department of Environmental Management bought the former Chase Marina on Riverside Drive for the bargain price of $720,000 in October 2021, taking the vacant million-dollar property off the hands of the state Department of Transportation with the vision of transforming it into a hub of the local “blue economy.”
To that end, RIDEM issued a request for information to the public, accepting responses from Aug. 2 through Sept. 23 to ensure their vision for the site’s future would include and be aligned with the thoughts, ideas and concerns of relevant individuals, professional associations, institutions and private companies.
The original press release announcing the RFI back in August explained, “DEM is specifically interested in proposals that address the priority needs and interests of the local commercial fishing, aquaculture, and seafood industries. Ideas pertaining to other uses of the facility that meet local, regional, and statewide needs and interests will also be considered.”
Bob Ballou, assistant to the director of RIDEM, spoke more specifically to The Daily News about the goal of establishing a state port in Tiverton similar to Newport’s State Pier #9, saying DEM’s vision is for the site to “sustain and grow Rhode Island’s economically vital commercial fishing, shellfish farming and seafood industry via a new state port facility in the East Bay region of Narragansett Bay.”
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He called the absence of a state port for commercial fishermen in the East Bay a “key reason the acquisition of (the Chase Marina property) is such a score,” citing the need of East Bay residents who make their living off the bounty of the bay for a facility to berth and offload their harvest.
Who is interested in the future of Chase Marina?
The site at 169 Riverside Drive consists of a 96-year-old, two-story industrial/commercial building with a reported gross floor area of 5,671 square feet. The building is situated on a 0.26-acre site and includes an attached marina with room for 25-30 berthing positions for commercial fishing vessels, according to DEM.
Ballou said the state would publish an official summary of the RFI responses by the end of November, but he offered a verbal summary to The Daily News in advance of that publication. The request for information received 16 substantive responses, all but one from Rhode Island-based entities, and an additional five written comments, including one-line emails from local residents.
Respondents included individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, Roger Williams University and the Tiverton Harbor Commission, which Ballou called “very engaged in the process so far.”
He was largely positive about the property, noting the state’s intention to support local fishing and seafood interests would “essentially be returning it to its historical use." However, he also acknowledged "parking is absolutely going to be a real challenge … there’s very limited parking opportunities.”
He noted the parking issue was brought to DEM’s attention “very emphatically” in responses to the RFI, and the Tiverton Harbor Commission’s letter included very specific suggestions for law enforcement coordination, clear establishment of jurisdiction (in addition to the local and state police and the DEM to consider, RITBA is also in the mix because it owns the adjacent public boat ramp and the associated parking lot across the street) and parking regulation.
The Harbor Commission also suggested building a pump-out facility — an idea Ballou said DEM was enthusiastic about and would be incorporating into any future proposal — called for the construction of public restrooms for local recreational fishermen, and stated priority should go to Rhode Island businesses when it comes time to select leaseholders.
It also said, “In the second phase of this development … it is important to include representatives from Tiverton from various disciplines to reach the best result.”
Jill Rodrigues, the director of communications and media relations at Roger Williams, confirmed the university had responded to the RFI. Roger Williams offers an array of marine biology and aquaculture courses at its Bristol campus and partners with DEM on various initiatives in the bay.
“As a leader in the shellfish aquaculture industry and neighbor across the bay from Tiverton, Roger Williams University has a vested interest in what occurs on the bay and at Chase Marina," Rodrigues wrote to The Daily News in an email. "This space has the opportunity to support the health and economic viability of the East Bay. RWU has submitted … ideas that are grounded in our area of expertise in the blue economy and coastal health and resiliency … We shared our general ideas to keep the door open to include the university as a potential applicant later, or to serve as a partner on other ideas should the DEM issue a formal RFP in the future.”
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Ballou explained most of the 16 responses offered interest and support for commercial fishing and seafood operations as a primary use of the facility, and others included ideas for complimentary shellfish aquaculture, workforce development, education and research. More specific responses included pitches for a recreational fishing center, a marine canvas business and a commercial diving business.
What's next in the process?
Ballou said next steps include meeting with RITBA to make sure the state agencies stay on the same page moving forward, drafting a concept plan for the site within the next month and seeking federal funding to supplement the $1.3 million in RICAP funding already committed by Gov. Dan McKee to the facility in the state’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
According to Ballou, DEM intends to use that state funding to obtain matching funds from the federal government’s Economic Development Administration. Ballou said the state is at least a year away from putting together an RFP (request for proposals) for the site and will be working diligently in the meantime to operationalize it and make it viable for future leaseholders.
For more information about the process, Ballou can be reached at the DEM office at 401-222-2771, Ext. 2774420. Tiverton Harbor Commission representative Dave Stewart's contact information is listed on the commission's publicly available response letter to the RFI.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Tiverton RI: Chase Marina site's future being mulled by RIDEM
