East Providence, RI – The City of East Providence, together with Churchill & Banks and its subsidiary Noble Development, as well as the East Providence Waterfront District Commission celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on the sale of the first property at East Point Development.
“Churchill & Banks is pleased to announce that the first single-family condominium at East Point has sold,” President & CEO of Churchill & Banks, Richard Baccari II said. “It has been a pleasure working with Mayor Bob DaSilva and the East Providence Waterfront District Commission to permit and redevelop this beautiful waterfront property.
“This $150 million development will create nearly 400 residential units in a wide range of housing types and price points, Baccari added. “The adaptive reuse of abandoned industrial properties along the East Providence waterfront is creating new residential communities, increasing the state housing stock and having a positive economic impact on the state and city finances.”
The project, which began in 2022, is revitalizing the former home of Washburn Wire and Ocean State Steel Company and developing the former brownfield site into 392 single and multi-family units and apartments adding to the housing stock in East Providence. When complete, the development will include 39 age-restricted affordable housing units.
The property was placed into a court-ordered receivership and had been mired in a legal dispute dating back to 2009. The city, under the leadership of Mayor DaSilva, brought everyone to the table to overcome several challenges with the property, including getting the property out of receivership.
“Our administration has prioritized taking underutilized properties such as former brownfields and shuttered storefronts and bringing new life to them, I am so pleased that this development is creating new housing opportunities as well as an incredible opportunity for residents to have access to our beautiful waterfront and the Seekonk River,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said. “This project includes a kayak launch and walking trails that will be open for all residents of the City of East Providence.
“I am grateful to Richard Baccari, the East Providence Waterfront District Commission and City Council for collaborating and making this project become a reality,” DaSilva added.
“East Point is a prime example of how a local community can proactively involve business in revitalizing a brownfield site, a project that showcases the potential of bringing public access and new housing supply to a long-dormant piece of real estate,” Chairman of the East Providence Waterfront Commission, William Fazioli said. “Once the property was taken out of receivership, it took the East Providence Waterfront Commission more than 18 months to work closely with the developer, community stakeholders, and local, state and federal agencies to ensure a top-notch development that includes affordable housing along with a valuable range of housing unit options.”
Today, the site is almost unrecognizable in comparison to just several years ago. The former industrial area will feature six acres of public access to the waterfront, providing an accessible kayak launch and public access along Omega Pond and the Seekonk River as part of the Urban Coastal Greenway.
The City of East Providence had the foresight to create the Waterfront Commission, which includes high-density zoning for the working waterfront areas of the Providence and Seekonk Rivers in order to transform the abandoned industry complexes into mixed-use or residential neighborhoods. East Point Development is another example of the Waterfront Commission’s success.
"Progress continues on much of the previously neglected and polluted East Providence waterfront,” City Council President Bob Rodericks said. “From Riverside's Crescent Park through the city center to Rumford, the waterfront is being transformed from several unkempt properties to a combination of green open space and housing.
“East Point has replaced an abandoned environmentally polluted site with cleaned-up improvements. I thank Mayor DaSilva, City Council members, and all parties involved in this project for their efforts," Rodericks added.
