Narragansett residents, EDC and council weigh options for former library at 35 Kingstown Road after rejecting single developer bid

Narragansett — After rejecting a single proposal for adaptive reuse of the former Maury Lutjens Memorial Library at 35 Kingstown Road, the Narragansett Town Council on July 21 heard a wide-ranging public discussion about the building’s future use and signaled it will seek additional public input and a possible new request for proposals.

The council first considered a proposal from GBC LLC but members said they were not ready to approve it. A motion to reject the single proposal was made and seconded and passed; council members who spoke said the town had not received enough public outreach or competitive responses before choosing a tenant for a prominent municipal property.

Why it matters: The former library occupies an estimated single-floor footprint of roughly 9,000 square feet near the pier and remains a high-profile public asset. Council members and residents said the site could address persistent local needs — affordable housing, year-round retail or community space — or be used for municipal operations. Several speakers said the town should avoid appearing to favor one private business when public land is involved.

What councilors and residents said - Doug Gilbert, chair of the Economic Development Committee, said the earlier RFP attracted only one bid and recommended issuing a new RFP with broader marketing (including the Providence Journal), a longer lead time and consideration of hiring a commercial real estate broker to expand outreach. He outlined options including nonprofit-operated museum/event space, co-working/shared workspace or mixed-use residential/commercial development. - Paul Zonfillo (EDC) cautioned the council against the town acting as a landlord that could compete with local businesses, characterizing the rejected proposal as appearing to favor a private operator and advising the town to leverage the EDC’s expertise. - Catherine Celebrato raised legal and zoning concerns, noting prior court cases about public property use and observing the lot may be zoned residential; she warned a parking garage would require substantial borrowing and voter approval for bonds. - Laurie Kelly (resident) said structural issues and a high water table have long made upper-floor conversions expensive; she urged the council to hold a fully advertised workshop and gather community preferences — she said prior, lightly attended workshops produced few proposals. - Several residents — including Rose Burstein, Anna Simpson and Dr. Al Alba — proposed a small convenience/grocery option, community gathering space, recreational programming or mixed-use affordable housing that would serve year-round residents as well as summer visitors.

Council direction and next steps Council members who opposed the GBC LLC proposal said they want more outreach and options rather than immediate selection of a private developer. The council discussed scheduling a workshop and agreed to return the topic to a future agenda; staff were directed to plan outreach, consider a new RFP or broker engagement and report back. No final decision on sale, lease or municipal reuse was made at the meeting.

Clarifying details from the meeting - Building size: council members cited the former library as approximately 9,000 square feet (single-level footprint). - Previous RFP results: the council received one responsive proposal; Economic Development Committee members recommended broader marketing and possible broker engagement to attract multiple proposals. - Financial constraints: speakers warned a parking garage would likely require bonded borrowing and voter approval; conversion costs for structural upgrades were cited as high in previous studies.

The council indicated it will place a workshop or further discussion on a future agenda after staff prepare outreach options and cost estimates. Members and residents repeatedly requested that any workshop be widely advertised and that the town solicit direct input on the top community preferences before issuing another RFP or taking action.