ProvPort, Save The Bay reach agreement over port expansion

A PRELIMINARY STUDY of expanding the Port of Providence included the option of filling in portions of Narragansett Bay, something that Save The Bay objected to, and which ProvPort has now disavowed.  / COURTESY PROVPROV INC.
A PRELIMINARY STUDY of expanding the Port of Providence included the option of filling in portions of Narragansett Bay, something that Save The Bay objected to, and which ProvPort has now disavowed. / COURTESY PROVPROV INC.

PROVIDENCE – A proposed expansion at the Port of Providence will be restricted to land-based sites and will not include any filling of Narragansett Bay, according to a spokesman for the nonprofit entity that manages the waterfront.

The announcement is meant to address concerns expressed recently by Save The Bay, an environmental education and advocacy organization, which has headquarters adjoining the ProvPort site.

In November, Rhode Island voters will be asked by ProvPort to approve a $20 million state bond that would authorize the state to purchase land along the waterfront that would allow the port to enlarge its footprint.

In a release July 11, Save The Bay’s executive director said he was gravely concerned about the proposal, specifically that it might lead to the filling of 31 acres of the bay as part of a future expansion. He cited a report produced by Vickerman & Associates for the port, which laid out a vision in three expansion phases, the latter two included the filling of acres along the waterfront.

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“Save The Bay has no objection to land-side expansion of ProvPort operations, but we are dead-set against filling the bay,” wrote Jonathan Stone, executive director of the environmental organization.

The organization also expressed concern that state funds could be directed to a property purchase involving a company that has been cited repeatedly for environmental violations.

After meeting with the organization, ProvPort said Tuesday it had reached an accord with Save The Bay.

In a news release, Bill Fischer, a spokesman for the nonprofit ProvPort, said the port has re-evaluated its goals and has no plans to move beyond its first phase.

“Our only goal is to be able to access additional land to expand. That has always been our primary goal,” he stated. “Unfortunately, studies we put out related to future phases of expansion included cost estimates associated with filling 31 acres of the bay. While these studies presented future options for expansion, they did not represent a plan we had committed to, nor had we undertaken an analysis to establish what it would take to actually build a pier or fill acreage in the bay.”

ProvPort recognizes the importance of putting to rest any concerns that the expansion is a first step toward filling of the bay, he said. “We have assured Save The Bay that future phases of our expansion plans have been abandoned.”

With respect to the purchase of individual sites, he said if ongoing environmental concerns prevent ProvPort from acquiring specific parcels, so be it. “There are seven parcels that could potentially work for expansion. None of the seven are required to make our plan work.”

In a brief phone interview Tuesday, Stone said he was satisfied with the response of ProvPort, and said the organization would continue to follow the issue.

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