Newport Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong and Councilor Mark Aramli are set to introduce a resolution at the Newport City Council’s Regular Meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 25, addressing the restoration and relocation of the beloved Easton’s Beach carousel.
The resolution directs the City Manager to obtain cost estimates for restoring the carousel horses and related elements, as well as designing and constructing a new structure to house the attraction. It also calls for identifying up to three potential locations within Newport for the carousel’s new home.
The historic carousel, a cherished Newport institution since the early 1950s, was disassembled earlier this year due to the “ravages of weather and climate” that damaged both the ride and its housing structure at Easton’s Beach.
“The value of the Carousel to the City is uncontroverted, and the imperative of restoring and relocating the Carousel is clear and a timely priority for the City,” the resolution states.
The city’s decision to relocate the carousel stems from concerns about the impacts of climate change on its former oceanfront location. The resolution deems returning the attraction to Easton’s Beach “imprudent and inadvisable.”
In May, the city engaged WRF Designs, a nationally known firm specializing in historic amusement park restoration, to carefully disassemble the carousel. The process involved inventorying and checking the 1950s-era cast iron horses for defects before storing them in a climate-controlled facility.
“We’re currently looking into where and how to relocate this treasured piece of the community as soon as we possibly can,” the city stated in a Facebook post on May 8.
The resolution emphasizes the need for the new location to be readily accessible to the public, have necessary parking availability, and provide for year-round usage. It also opens the possibility of considering both public and private property for the carousel’s new home.
Funding for the restoration and relocation project remains a key consideration. The resolution calls for the City Manager to identify appropriate legal mechanisms for private charitable funding, while also leaving open the possibility of public funding or a combination of both.
“The costs of accomplishing the restoration and relocation need to be estimated to allow for appropriate fundraising activities, whether through private charitable contributions, public funding, or some combination,” the resolution notes.
The carousel has long been a source of joy for Newport residents, families throughout the region, and tourists from across the nation and world. Its restoration and relocation are seen as crucial steps in preserving this historic attraction for future generations.
The resolution underscores the urgency of the project, directing the City Manager to undertake these activities “on an accelerated basis” and to make additional recommendations to facilitate the “prompt reopening of this historic Newport treasure.”
Resolution
Oh how much I loved President Kennedy and cried the day he was shot and all through the funeral. He definitely was not the Democrats of today! Life is so changed and difficult to accept at 92 years old.