Resilient Riverfront Renewal project moves toward construction with $5.2 million in hand

The Southern Rhode Island Conservation District told the Westerly Town Council on March 17 that the Resilient Riverfront Renewal Project for Main Street has $5.2 million secured and is nearing the construction phase.

The district’s district manager, Gina Fuller, said the project is “about 80% done with the planning” and “about 70% design,” and that construction is expected to start this spring in phased work that prioritizes private-property improvements before streetscape work.

The project’s stated goals are to create a sense of place downtown, improve resilience and water quality, and establish a green corridor. Fuller said those goals were drawn from town documents including the comprehensive plan and the hazard mitigation plan, and that the project website holds presentations and interactive materials for property owners and residents.

Fuller said multiple funding sources are in place and the conservation district and the town continue to pursue additional grants. “We have in hand $5,200,000,” she told the council, and she described ongoing applications to the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank and other grant sources. Fuller also said the state provided mitigation funding tied to meeting federal water-quality requirements and that she anticipates more grant rounds as construction begins.

Councilors asked about property-owner participation, technical design elements such as raised crosswalks, and traffic impacts. Fuller said private owners on Main Street are not required to participate and that the district has worked to secure signatures from owners who have agreed to participate: “We have 12 properties that are actually at 70% design with engineered designs that we're literally starting to talk to folks about,” she said. She described the outreach as active and noted some property ownership changes since the project began.

On traffic and safety, Fuller said the town commissioned a traffic study and that engineers and the fire chief have reviewed designs for access. She said some lane and curb changes are intended to calm traffic and improve pedestrian safety. Fuller described maintenance arrangements: the state is providing funds to help construct the project and the conservation district will care for plant material until it is established, which she estimated at two years. After that, she said, the town or property owners would be responsible for ongoing maintenance or may contract with the conservation district’s green‑streets team.

Fuller said the project team is working with state agencies and noted that Main Street is a town road (not a state road), that some properties involved are town-owned, and that the district is coordinating permits and mitigation-credit work with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and the Coastal Resources Management Council where relevant.

Fuller and councilors emphasized the project is intended to meet stormwater and MS4 permit obligations while improving downtown walkability and river access. She said the next step for the council will be a presentation of the final streetscape design, with opportunities for public feedback on final materials and plant palettes.

The council did not take formal action on the project at the March 17 meeting; Fuller said the district will return with additional materials and permit-level designs as the project moves into construction.