EAST PROVIDENCE – A new waterfront concert venue is being constructed in the city as part of a $30 million redevelopment near Bold Point Park, where concert promoters, the mayor, the governor and other officials recently gathered to celebrate a groundbreaking.
The still-unnamed outdoor amphitheater is being developed on a parcel of public land known as “the bowtie” by Rhode Island Waterfront Enterprises LLC, which is headed by concert promoter and Live Nation New England President Don Law. The seated venue will have a capacity for 5,000 guests, he said, adding it’s expected to be completed sometime in 2024.
The neighboring park has been host to several live musical performances in the past few years, including some organized by Live Nation New England, according to city officials.
Law said the amphitheater will be similar to the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston. The outdoor facility will provide overhead cover to keep performers dry in the case of rain, according to the developers.
The redevelopment of the park will also include a new kayak launch, walking paths and lighting fixtures at the park, Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva said.
The waterfront land where the concert venue is planned has been vacant since 1984, when it was last occupied by the Union Oil Co. of California, Law said.
Rhode Island Waterfront Enterprises purchased the 45-acre property for $4.5 million in June 2019 from the Providence & Worcester Railroad Co., according to PBN reports.
Before the groundbreaking could take place, DaSilva said Law and his partners worked together with the city to overcome remediation challenges at what was considered a brownfield site due to the pollution left in the ground by its former occupants. He also said the announced development of the Bold Point Park area piggybacks on the recent groundbreaking for a $120 million plan to construct 392 residential units as part of a mixed-use development at 300 Bourne Ave. in the East Point area as planned by Churchill & Banks Co. subsidiary Noble Development LLC.
“The residents that occupy these homes and housing units, as well as visitors to our city, will not have to travel far to enjoy what amenities and recreational enjoyment this property here will bring,” DaSilva said.
Gov. Daniel J. McKee said he’s confident that the concert venue, and the rest of the revitalized waterfront park, will be an attraction for visitors near and far.
“Bold Point Park will be an economic engine for live entertainment in the Ocean State,” McKee said. “The Bold Point project is going to connect our tourism, entertainment and natural resources, uniting some of our state’s strongest assets to attract thousands for live entertainment from the spring through the autumn.”
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer.
