'We’re moving forward': Officials detail decision to demolish Easton's Beach buildings

NEWPORT – The city is planning to knock down at least two of the three buildings on Easton’s Beach this summer, including the building that houses the beach's popular snack bar, under a plan that has been underway for two years, residents were dismayed to learn over the past week.

And plans for what will replace those buildings – if anything – remain unsettled.

“The decision is made, and we’ve known this for over a year now, and we’re moving forward,” Director of Public Services Bill Riccio said. “This is part of the process. I know change is difficult, but we have to protect public safety. These are difficult decisions, and it's in the collective best interest of everybody to move forward in this realm.”

In December, the city officially posted a request for proposals for demolition companies to knock down the carousel building and snack bar building on Easton’s Beach, which sparked discussion among Newport residents online after the owner of Easton’s Beach Snack Bar, Barry Botelho, posted an update on the situation to the restaurant’s Facebook page.

“I am sad to report that Easton's Beach Snack Bar will be torn down this spring, although there were other options the city chose demolition,” the post reads. “Unfortunately, the void will be filled with food trucks. That being said there is a slight chance The Snack Bar can be saved if enough people speak out.”

Since Botelho took over the snack bar in 1999, it has become a favorite of residents and tourists alike for its twin lobster rolls. In the wake of his post, the Beach Commission decided to discuss the future of the Easton’s Beach buildings at its first meeting of the year on Jan. 3. Riccio, who was invited to the meeting, confirmed that demolition of the structures was part of the request for proposals, but he said the question of what might replace the buildings is still "up in the air."

In November 2022, DBVW Architects drafted a plan for buildings that could replace the snack bar and carousel building after demolition, but Riccio said that might not happen because of the threat of increasingly damaging storms, which is why the city is instead considering non-permanent options, such as food trucks.

Riccio said the city's main concern is protecting Memorial Boulevard and, more urgently, Easton’s Pond from the escalating effects of climate change. Early in the meeting, the commission viewed photos depicting the flooding and damage to the buildings and adjacent beach structures caused by the strong storm that hit the state on Dec. 18. With the increasing frequency of such powerful storms, Riccio said, the city needs to use Easton’s Beach as a first line of defense to protect the pond, which is used as a water reservoir for the city.

The two buildings, constructed in the 1990s in the aftermath of Hurricane Bob, have been on the chopping block since 2021, when DBVW Architects submitted a 45-page report titled "Easton’s Beach Pavilions: Evaluation of Existing Conditions with Recommendations," which said the structures were in "very poor" condition.

“The effects of climate change on these three buildings cannot be ignored,” the report reads. “Stronger and more frequent storms regularly batter these buildings, as do storm surges that flood the lower levels. One has to consider how prudent it is to spend large amounts of money to save the two buildings (Carousel Building and Snack Bar Building) that were constructed in the 1990s.”

At the meeting, Riccio was asked by the Newport Buzz why people were allowed to jump off of these structures during the Polar Plunge on New Year's Day if they were deemed unsafe. Beach Commission member Aly Oakley said the report only identified the carousel building as being unsafe for people to move around in.

Riccio said city officials were "shocked" to see people "acting irresponsibly" during the Polar Plunge, and that interim City Manager Laura Sitrin has recommended blocking off the buildings to prevent that from happening again.

The rotunda, which dates back to the 1940s, is in much better shape than the two newer structures at the beach. The city has been interested in saving the historic building, although Riccio said he is not sure if the plan for the rotunda building has changed. He said the beach facilities will be discussed at the Capital Improvement Plan workshop on Jan. 31.

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As part of the request for proposals, the carousel will be removed from its building for repair. Riccio said the city has not yet determined where the carousel, which has horses that date back to the 1950s, will be housed.

While Botelho declined to comment after the meeting, he did thank commission members as they adjourned for their years of support, despite their disagreement over whether he'd been informed ahead of time that the snack bar would be demolished. He hinted that the snack bar might continue in another form in the future, although he could not provide details.

Riccio said the city may bring in food trucks to provide refreshments for the upcoming summer season.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Easton's Beach buildings will be demolished, Newport officials confirm