A century ago, Narragansett Pier was a top summer destination for members of America’s upper class. Visitors would stay in one of the town’s luxurious hotels, which included the famous Narragansett Pier Casino, while others built grand mansions comparable to those in Newport.
As the years went by, however, the pier lost some of its luster. Fires burned down the hotels, and hurricanes in 1938 and 1954 devastated the area. By the late 1960s, the beachfront was a row of seedy bars, and the Army Corps of Engineers was threatening to build a view-blocking sea wall to prevent further storm damage.
Hoping to recapture Narragansett’s faded glory, town officials launched an urban renewal project. But the only firm that was interested – Gilbane Development Co., a division of Gilbane Inc. – put up a row of apartment blocks, and the project failed.
Now, though, Gilbane is entering the final phase of a massive redevelopment project that’s transforming Narragansett Pier – which is also the community’s downtown – and, in doing so, recreating some of the glamour associated with the pier of old.
“We looked for a design that was still contemporary, but was more reminiscent of what was here at the turn of the century,” said Robert Gilbane, the company’s president.
The 88 apartments are gone, though parts of the original structure were reused in the new development. In their place is Surfside Narragansett, an oceanfront complex of 99 two- and three-floor luxury townhouses and condominiums that range in price from $500,000 to over $1 million. Each unit includes a private balcony or stone terrace, many of which look out over the water.
The village’s architectural style is Victorian coastal, which hearkens back to the pier’s golden age and suits its location by the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Canonchet. The interiors offer high-end appliances and furnishings, as well as storm-proof windows and insulation. At the same time, Gilbane said, the units’ relatively modest sizes made the company pay attention to even the smallest detail.
“It’s like building a ship,” he said. “Every inch is important.”
The company says Surfside Narragansett also showcases Gilbane’s commitment to “green,” sustainable building practices, from its energy-efficient appliances to its reclaiming of materials and stones from the old buildings.
Alongside the village, Gilbane has incorporated the same seaside Victorian style to redevelop a building that now houses Belmont Market, a locally owned 15,000-square-foot grocery market, and a new liquor store. Next door to them is Trio, a popular new restaurant that’s owned by Newport Harbor Corp., which also owns The Inn at Castle Hill.
“The restaurant has had an immediate impact on the area,” said Michael DeLuca, Narragansett’s community development director. “It has brought in, I think, a great deal of business that would not otherwise have been here.”
Gilbane and town officials hope the three businesses serve as anchors that draw more people to the pier, which has a number of other establishments that aren’t Gilbane-owned, as well as municipal buildings, including the town library and police station. The third and final phase of the redevelopment will add three more commercial buildings.
Nevertheless, Gilbane’s redevelopment of the pier has been controversial in Narragansett. Locals complain about the condo complex’s density and lack of affordable units, and say the redeveloped Narragansett Pier still lacks sufficient retail space.
“This was the most hotly debated thing in town history,” said Narragansett Councilman Christopher Wilkens, who lives a few steps up Narragansett Avenue from the Gilbane project and has been critical of some of the company’s decisions. “It’s the remaking of the whole downtown.”
Wilkens, who was elected to the town council in 2006 after leading a group opposed to the project, says he wanted Gilbane to incorporate more open space and more mixed-use buildings into its plan. “Right now, there’s an overbalance of condo residents to businesses,” he said, and that could hamper the future development of the pier.
Still, Wilkens had praise for other portions of the project, and hopes the town can build on the new development to make the pier a success. “I’m not anti-Gilbane; I’m pro-Narragansett,” he said.
Robert Gilbane, for his part, emphasized that the company “wants to be a good neighbor,” and one way of accomplishing that has been by constructing public walkways and public art. The most striking of these is a handmade, 80-foot stoneware and porcelain mural that Gilbane commissioned for the sea wall facing the beach. Designed by Pell Award winner Peter Gessier and local artist Mika Seeger, the mural traces the town’s history since Colonial days.
Despite the sometimes tense relationship between the town and the developer, DeLuca thinks the rejuvenated pier will benefit Narragansett. “Over all, it’s a great thing to have,” he said. “It fits in as being a reestablishing of an identity for an area that may have been suffering for while – that identity being Narragansett Pier as a cultural center of the town.”
So far, the homes in Surfside Narragansett are selling well, according to Gilbane. “But the final judgment,” he said, “is from the people who live here, and the people who shop here.” •
Gilbane Inc. – a family owned construction and real estate firm, based in Providence, that is the parent of Gilbane Building Co. and Gilbane Development Co. – is ranked as the second largest private company in Rhode Island on the Providence Business News 2007 Top Private Companies list, with annual revenue of $3.27 billion. (READ MORE) To learn more about the company and its services, visit www.gilbaneco.com.
