More than once, I have publicly heard or seen reference to a Request for Proposal (RFP) in connection with the Town Center project from the developer. From what I can find on the Town’s website, no RFP was issued for this very important project. Why?
The Town issued a Request for Information (RFI), to probe the limits of what is possible. The RFI educates and explores potential solutions offered by vendors. Normally, responses to an RFI are used to make a competitive RFP. The RFP compares and evaluates overall value a vendor can offer. The town DID NOT issue an RFP. If it had, the document would be available on the Town’s web site for all to read.
The RFP process is crucial in procurement. By not issuing an RFP means the Town entered into a 99-year land lease, with the current developer, without any due and fair competition. How the Town went from an RFI, skipping the very important and crucial RFP step, to awarding a contract of this magnitude, is highly unusual, lacks transparency, and risks best outcome options. My question to the Town Council is: Why was the competitive Request for Proposal step in this major project not taken?
Our Council is facing a huge ask by the developer. The developer wants to change the residents’ view of the town’s future by modifying OUR Comprehensive Plan, and requesting zoning changes with an overlay to OUR public land.
Since this very important Town project WAS NOT competed, the Town Council should strongly reject all the developer’s requests. The proposed plan does not reflect what was outlined by the public for the RFI, (the library, community space, theater, amphitheater, and senior center/daycare, etc. have all been removed; with a 4 to 5 story 144 room hotel and 150 luxury apartments added). The public’s displeasure of this proposal has been on record and has not changed since April of 2022.
Our elected Town Council has an obligation to cater to the residents of this community, not developers and tourists. I urge the Council to think long and hard and do what is necessary to walk away from this exceptional deal for the developer and bad deal for our town.
I urge all Middletown residents to attend the next Public Hearing scheduled for 6 pm on 9/30/25 at the Middletown High School where the Council is expected to vote on these requests. This is important for your children’s and grandchildren’s future. Please show up!
Jo-Ann Thornton
Middletown, RI 02842