Marshall Gets Approval to Re-Zone Metacomet Golf Course, Hotel Proposal Gets Struck Down

Marshall Gets Approval to Re-Zone Metacomet Golf Course, Hotel Proposal Gets Struck Down

The battle over the future of the Metacomet Country Club raged until after midnight — stretching into Wednesday morning.

The East Providence City Council approved the rezoning plan on a vote of 3-2, but killed the developer's plan for a hotel.

The move marks the latest since Marshall Properties purchased the historic country club from a group of investors led by professional golfer Brad Faxon.

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In February of 2020, documents secured by GoLocalProv.com unveil that Brad Faxon and his team of high profile investors including a partner of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in Point Judith Capital promised to invest millions into the Donald Ross-designed Metacomet Golf Course.

Specifically, the investors assured the club members when purchasing the club in 2019, that the PGA’s Faxon -- a Rhode Island icon -- was dedicated to the “unique love for Metacomet’s fabulous history.”

Further, the investment team promised to put millions into improving the facilities and not to develop the property.

"We would not expect to do any major alterations to the course related to Real Estate Development in any way for 18-24 months,” said Faxon and his team. 

But, Faxon and his team never made the investments, but instead flipped the historic Donald Ross-designed course to Marshall Properties.

Activists that have been opposing the Marshall plan took to social media to social media late into the night and into the morning voicing frustration with the East Providence Council’s President Robert Britto.

“Council voted NO HOTEL on Metacomet (restriction was motioned by Cahoon) - [Sousa] tried to get several other restrictions such as NO bldgs over 20k sq ft, NO light industrial/manufacturing, NO Flex/Tech space (I think that was voted down) she tried to get a restriction on bldg height but she got cut off in order to take care of more ‘agenda business,’” wrote Tracey Mcgowan-Finkbeiner, one of the organizers of the group Keep Metacomet Green.

“Get a load of Britto (after the fact) saying how he was always against a hotel there but now thinks it would be a great asset to have functions/banquets/proms there with a rooftop deck to watch the 4th of July fireworks!?!   A “Mediterranean” style hotel!  Is he HIGH!?!   Thankfully they voted to restrict NO HOTELS!  Thank God he’s not on the [Waterfront District Commission]” she added