PROVIDENCE – The City Council on Thursday took a step toward authorizing Mayor Brett P. Smiley’s administration to sell a city-owned property in Narragansett, commonly referred to as Camp Cronin, which was once used for youth recreational programming but has been dormant for almost a decade.
The resolution, which was unanimously referred to the finance committee, was introduced by City Council President Rachel Miller along with council members Oscar Vargas and Pedro Espinal.
A full council vote is required for any sale to move forward.
With no definitive plans for the more than two-acre site located at 1399 Ocean Road, council members emphasized the need for the city to address its budget challenges by either selling the site or finding a stable revenue source to maintain and lease it out.
Originally constructed in 1930, the original-28-acre property was purchased by the city from the federal government in 1957. Since then, Providence has sold off portions of the site and now controls the remaining two acres.
The previous administration under former Mayor Jorge Elorza allocated over $400,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for improvements.
But the city came close to losing Camp Cronin in 2022 for failing to settle a back tax bill of $16,721. The property was placed in a tax sale, with Airway Leasing LLC purchasing the lien at auction for $17,006.
Council spokesperson Marc Boyd said Friday the proposal was “part of a broader effort to explore all options relating to the city’s challenging financial situation," which includes a projected fiscal year 2026 deficit exceeding $10 million.
"The resolution will be deliberated and follow the normal process from there,” he said.
The Smiley administration previously sought to lease the land and the two buildings, issuing a request for proposals with a December 17, 2024, deadline to vendors to make upgrades and convert it into a recreational facility.
The proposal aimed for a five-year lease, with two optional five-year renewals, and suggested that renovations would be completed by the end of summer 2025.
In a statement Friday Smiley spokesperson Anthony Vega declined to comment on any discussions in the works to lease the site but said the administration “is currently "evaluating various strategies to preserve access to this property for Providence residents while also generating revenue for the city."
The city has to date expended roughly $1.5 million to retain the property.
Valued at $837,600 in 2020, Narragansett town records show the property was most recently assessed at $1.4 million. Requests for comment to Town Manger James Tierney were not immediately returned.
According to the Providence charter, city-owned property sales must not be conducted for less than 90% of the appraised value.
Before the vote council member Miguel Sanchez said many older constituents over the years have shared childhood memories of attending programs at Camp Cronin.
“For many in urban core areas, this camp was their only gateway to the outdoors," he said.
But the city could use the revenue, said council member Althea Graves.
“We are facing serious challenges,” she said. “We can preserve our memories without clinging to assets that we can no longer afford to maintain.”
(CORRECTS TO sale of Camp Cronin requiring full vote by the Providence City Council.)
Christopher Allen is a staff writer for PBN. He can be reached at Allen@PBN.com.
