Construction On New Spring Park In Newport Begins

NEWPORT, RI — Construction on the new Spring Park in Newport has begun, city officials said Tuesday.

Barring unforeseen complications, city officials expect the new park on Spring Street to be completed by summer 2023. The park will memorialize Newport’s historic spring around which the city was founded and celebrate a founding value of the city — religious freedom, members of the nonprofit Historic Newport Spring said.

With design and engineering plans completed, the first construction steps include the removal of contaminated soil from decades of use as a gas station.

Next is the installation of an innovative below-ground "Silva Cell system," a tree care and stormwater management tool used to improve ecological function in urban areas. The "Silva Cells system" was chosen by Newport’s superintendent of parks, grounds and forestry Scott Wheeler.

"The system will provide the park's shade trees with the high-quality organic soil they need to thrive while also providing the structure needed to support a safe, stable walking surface for visitors," Wheeler said in a statement. "It has the added benefit of catching stormwater to sustain the trees and to reduce runoff."

The system is being installed by the managing contractor, R.P. Marzilli, under the direction of Lirio Landscape Architecture. Further construction details will be reported as progress is made, city officials said.

"The Spring Leadership Group is grateful for the community-wide support this special project has received," a spokesperson for the nonprofit said. "The park will be an important and welcoming destination for residents and visitors alike."

When completed, Historic Newport Spring will donate Spring Park to Newport.