Two Newport County communities are among 15 municipalities statewide sharing more than $5.7 million in matching outdoor recreation grants announced this week by Gov. Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.
Newport will receive $500,000 — the maximum large development grant available — to develop the John Chafee Boulevard Recreation Area in the city’s North End. The project will add a new splash pad, shade structure, ADA-accessible restroom and walkways to the site, which is also home to the Newport Skatepark in Memory of Seamus Kirby.
Portsmouth will receive $155,761 for a new outdoor fitness facility at Portsmouth Senior Living, featuring accessible fitness equipment, instructional signage, surfacing and a shade structure.
The two local awards are part of DEM’s “rec grant” program, its most popular, which received 50 applications this cycle seeking nearly five times the available funding. The round is funded through the 2024 Green Bond and 2016 Green Economy Bond, both approved by Rhode Island voters. Since 1988, the program has awarded more than 582 grants totaling over $96 million across all 39 municipalities statewide.
“DEM’s stewardship of this very popular matching grant program continues to increase opportunities for Rhode Islanders to get outdoors and recreate, which improves mental well-being, public health, and quality of life,” McKee said.
Grants are available in three categories: small development grants up to $125,000, large development grants up to $500,000, and acquisition grants for permanent outdoor recreation properties up to $500,000. All require a community match.
Other statewide recipients include Barrington, Burrillville, Central Falls, Coventry, East Greenwich, Glocester, Lincoln, New Shoreham, North Kingstown, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Providence and Warren. Projects range from new splash pads and pickleball courts to playground renovations, shared use paths and outdoor fitness stations.
For more information on DEM’s grant programs, visit dem.ri.gov.