The Big Waterfront Play — Millions Being Invested for Concert Venue

The Big Waterfront Play — Millions Being Invested for Concert Venue

It was first announced in 2019, and now on Friday, Rhode Island and East Providence officials and Live Nation New England kick off one of the biggest economic investments ever along the Seekonk River.

The move by East Providence is the latest in the transformation of the waterfront.

The development comes after a series of projects that are leveraging the city’s location and miles of undeveloped waterfront.

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The entertainment venue is planned to include an outdoor amphitheater, parking, and new amenities for warm-weather events. The venue will be booked by Live Nation.

In addition, the City of East Providence has placed a strong emphasis on the positive economic impact of the waterfront concerts at Bold Point Park and will begin new improvements at the park, including a kayak launch, walking paths, and new lighting.

 

Concerts and Wind Development

The prospective site is a new mixed-use development with plans to also serve as a deepwater port for Rhode Island’s growing offshore wind industry. 

RI Waterfront Enterprises LLC, the new parcel owner, has planned a unique mixed-use model to meet two objectives: helping connect the people of East Providence to the waterfront, and serving the port needs of the offshore wind industry. The entertainment venue will reportedly be for warm-weather events from May to September.

GoLocal's architecture critic Will Morgan wrote about East Providence's development, "Rhode Island's fifth-largest city, East Providence stretches from Rumford to Riverside, from piedmont to bay, with remarkably varied topography and several "village" centers. While historic and affordable (all the access and half the taxes), it is terra incognita to most East Siders. When the wealthy come to Providence in search of a home, can you imagine a broker from one of the prestige real estate firms saying, Have you thought of East Providence? Perception and prejudice aside, East Providence may be the best remedy for the East Side pricing paradigm."

"Live music, among other benefits, helps to attract tourists to cities and contributes to a thriving cultural environment. In East Providence, a strong emphasis has been placed on the positive economic impact of the waterfront concerts at Bold Point Park. The City is enjoying renewed interest in key areas of economic development including job growth, consumer spending and real estate development," said the announcement of the new project.

The City of East Providence and the East Providence Waterfront Commission partnered with RI Waterfront Enterprises to bring this 45-acre mixed-use development project to fruition. Mayor Bob DaSilva said, “It was important for the City to champion this project because it adds to our City’s commercial tax base, as well as solidifies the State of Rhode Island’s commitment to green energy and its position at the forefront of offshore wind energy.”

The East Providence Waterfront Commission, charged with facilitating the transformation of the East Providence waterfront, will be instrumental in streamlining the approval process. The parcel, known as the South Quay, was previously owned by Providence and Worcester Railroad, and sat unoccupied, and was mostly unused for the past 40 years. William Fazioli, chairman of the Commission, said at the time of the announcement, “We are encouraged by the expansion of the successful Bold Point concert series within our Waterfront District. This proposal advances our goals for a vibrant mixed-use development that will grow jobs and increase public access to our City’s waterfront.”