EAST PROVIDENCE – Plans for the redevelopment of the former Metacomet Golf Club are moving forward.
Developer Marshall Properties Inc. has partnered with Northeast Golf Company to redevelop part of the property into a 9-hole golf course, which will be named Met Links.
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Robert McNeil, president of Northeast Golf Company, said they are planning to start construction over summer and potentially open next year. But as they are still working through permitting, the timeline remains tentative.
Marshall Properties said they are “committed to advancing all aspects of the project as soon as possible” and are hoping to develop a detailed timeline in the coming months. In the meantime, they said they have been continuing to collaborate with the East Providence Waterfront Commission and the City of East Providence, working on “finalizing plans and performing related work.”
Plans to transform the former Metacomet Golf Club into what Marshall properties call a “dynamic mixed-use destination” have been in the works for a few years. Marshall Properties bought the property, a 140-acre expanse off Veterans Memorial Parkway, in October 2020 for $7.6 million.
Since then, redevelopment plans have been mired in controversy. A group of former club members sued the former owners, including local golf legend Brad Faxon, for selling the club after members already paid a full year’s dues of $3,800 apiece. The members unsuccessfully sought to require the club to remain open for the 2020 season, and the case was dismissed in October 2020, according to records with Providence/Bristol County Superior Court.
Meanwhile, community residents also tried to push back, forming a citizen activist group called Keep Metacomet Green! to try and stop the redevelopment. The group sued the East Providence City Council and the developer after the council approved a requested rezoning for the property in 2021, but later withdrew the lawsuit.
Earlier this year, Providence Business News reported that the developer had yet to submit their project plans to the city. The East Providence Waterfront Commission, which could not be reached for this story, must outline certain design guidelines for the property, which set limits on building heights, materials, traffic flow and other elements. After those guidelines are approved, Marshall can submit an actual project proposal to the city.
Including a 9-hole golf course available for community use was one of the provisions included by the East Providence City Council in the 2021 rezoning, meant to ensure that about half the land remains open space.
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
