Water quality in Narragansett Bay and at beaches around Rhode Island is improving, but land development in coastal buffer zones and flood plains are “causes for concern,” according to an indicators report released by the Watershed Counts initiative. more

Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee and the R.I. Department of Transportation have announced the completion of the land transfer process between the state and the Interstate 195 Redevelopment District Commission. more

Grow Smart Rhode Island – a nonprofit that advocates for sustainable economic growth in the Ocean State – will honor individuals, plans and projects that play to Rhode Island’s strengths, generate sustainable economic benefits and improve the state’s communities and neighborhoods at its second annual awards gala in June. more

Plans to turn a former chocolate factory in Mansfield into condominiums have been halted after local voters Tuesday rejected an article that would have rezoned the building for residential use, reported Attleboro’s Sun Chronicle. more

Building Futures, a program of The Providence Plan, was named the 2013 winner of the Governor’s Workforce Board’s Innovation Award. more

As the 2013 legislative session heads toward its closing date, Rhode Island has a great economic opportunity within its grasp. Passage of a carefully constructed historic-tax-credit program would kick-start jobs, revitalize neighborhood economies and help get us back in business. more

For Karen Colby, senior project manager at Gilbane Co., her focus on continuous improvement and her abilities to harness the power of collaboration have proven to be the keys to success in all of her work on construction and engineering projects. more

Bill Bohmbach, founder and president of Portsmouth-based Home Healthsmith, recently earned the National Association of Home Builders’ certified aging-in-place specialist designation. Bohmbach has more than 30 years of experience in adaptive-mobility equipment and previously served in the Navy as an electrician. He founded Accurate Elevator and Lift in 1994, which he sold in 2010 to a major international elevator company. Bohmbach is currently pursuing his certification for home modifications through the University of Southern California. more

Imagine a private enterprise with the resources to make multimillion dollar investments on very high-profile parcels of land. more

The cities of Pawtucket and Central Falls have teamed up with The Pawtucket Foundation and a consulting firm to conduct market analysis and pre-development real estate advisory services for a riverfront revitalization project. more