IYRS to celebrate grand opening

NEWPORT – The International Yacht Restoration School next week will celebrate the grand opening of its refurbished Aquidneck Mill building constructed in 1831.
On May 14, IYRS will hold an 11 a.m. ceremony and open house at 449 Thames St.
Originally a textile mill, the 28,000-square-foot waterfront building will house expansion space for IYRS. Twelve companies have also leased space in the building. The project broke ground in July 2007 and was funded partially by the R.I. Historical Preservation Investment Tax Credit program.
“There are wonderfully layered benefits to this restored mill,” IYRS President Terry Nathan said. “The mill provides much needed space for additional school growth, as well as a separate income component associated with tenants. It also satisfies the long-term mission of the school to preserve the entire historic campus.”
He added, “And what a beautiful improvement to the quality of life in this neighborhood. The entire mix of benefits is very gratifying.”
Catherine Zipf, an assistant professor of cultural and historic preservation at Salve Regina University, said the mill was built in a city “not well-suited to mill culture.”
She added, “Still, the mills represent an important moment in Newport’s history, when the city was trying to reinvent itself and to capitalize on its waterfront resources in a different way than it had in the past. … These mills demonstrate the resiliency of Newport during very difficult economic times.”
For more information about the International Yacht Restoration School, go to www.iyrs.org.