Breakers' Welcome Center: Raimondo Asked to Intervene

NEWPORT, RI — The dirt is about to be turned on the new Welcome Center at the Breakers. But the group opposing construction, Friends of Newport Preservation, has penned an eleventh hour letter to Gov. Gina Raimondo and asked her to intervene. On Monday, the group said it wrote the Governor regarding the “decision of the Rhode Island Historic Preservation and Heritage Commission." The decision allows the Preservation Society of Newport County to build a commercial ‘welcome center’ on the grounds of The Breakers in Newport.”

The commission meets on Wednesday morning. But the Friends group claims this board has been compromised and has become “an advocate for the visitor center plan, rather than acting independently,” its letter to Raimondo continues.

“It’s clear that the visitor center approval process at the RIHPHC has been compromised,” added Donald Christ. “The measures put in place to protect Newport’s crown jewel and Rhode Island’s historic assets have regrettably proven inadequate. We’re asking the Governor to act before it’s too late.”

The Friends want the Welcome Center to go across the street in the parking lot and not on the The Breaker's grounds.

Click here to read the full letter.