Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordable Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council authorizes FJS/FGS change orders for East Main Road affordable-housing predevelopment work
Summary
Council approved change orders and consultant extensions for East Main Road site work funded by a Rhode Island Housing predevelopment grant; town officials said they expect a developer RFP and aim for shovel-ready status in about a year.
The Town Council approved memoranda and change orders to continue predevelopment and schematic design work for an affordable-housing site on East Main Road, funded entirely with a Rhode Island Housing predevelopment grant the town secured in December 2024.
Town staff and consultants told the council the grant is a predevelopment award intended to pay for engineering, schematic and design-development work to ready the property for a developer partner. Patrick (staff) explained the next steps: finalize engineering, complete drawings, issue an RFP for a development partner and return to council with a developer recommendation.
Frank Spinella (FGS Associates) and staff described the work as enabling the project to reach preliminary approval and to secure drainage, planning department and state permits required for comprehensive permitting. The administration said the state awarded approximately $250,000 for predevelopment; the town will not carry the grant funds as a local match or loan.
Officials said they are targeting approximately 30 deed-restricted homes for first-time buyers on the property and that, if schedules align, construction could begin about a year from now. Councilors voted to pass the change-order resolution and extend the consultant contract for roughly nine months to complete the technical engineering and permitting steps. The administration said when a preferred developer is identified, the matter would return to the council for final approval.
