Newport This Week

Performance Center Plans Unveiled



Baranyk, principal of Northeast Collaborative Architects prepared the initial plans for Island Moving Company's proposed performance center on Broadway. Herkworks Architecture and 2 Hands Studio are designing the residential properties at the back of the property. (Rendering supplied)

Baranyk, principal of Northeast Collaborative Architects prepared the initial plans for Island Moving Company’s proposed performance center on Broadway. Herkworks Architecture and 2 Hands Studio are designing the residential properties at the back of the property. (Rendering supplied)

The site of the former Triplett School on Broad­way is positioned to become center stage of New­port dance.

The Island Moving Company (IMC), which hosts professional ballet performances and owns Newport Academy of Ballet, unveiled plans on March 14 to demolish the school and construct an 8,610-square-foot, two-story performance center and ballet school. The ballet currently leases prop­erty at 3 Charles St. in Washington Square.

“Can we revitalize the Triplett School somehow? The answer is no. It’s an old building that is falling down. I believe you need a hazmat suit to enter,” said Attorney Turner Scott, representing the IMC at a lightly attended neighborhood meeting held at Parlor Bar & Kitchen.

Due to the condition of the former school, which was built in 1960, Scott said the demolition process is involved and expensive.

The preliminary plans include a large glass atrium and artwork on the building’s exterior. Interior plans feature three studios with seating for performances, a small cafe and office space, which may be shared with oth­er local nonprofits. The design includes 35 parking spaces, increasing the amount of green space at the location.

 

 

“This project is what drew me to Newport,” said IMC Executive Director Edward McPherson, who recently moved from Texas. “It’s a great step for­ward for the IMC.”

To offset the costs, IMC has partnered with re­altor Teri Degnan to demolish the school admin­istration building at the rear of the property and construct four single-family homes. Three of the homes will share a driveway with Princeton Street, and the fourth property will connect to Ledyard Street.

Last June, the Newport City Council unanimous­ly approved a $900,000 purchase price for the lot, which is contingent on both projects gaining mu­nicipal approval.

“Right now, this property produces zero taxes,” said Peter Regan, the attorney representing Deg­nan. “These are nice, single-family homes that are going to be selling at market rates.”

The city declined higher offers that proposed 16 multi-unit properties, he said.

“The city felt this was better for the community,” he said. “We think it’s a good use of the property. It’s much less dense than the neighborhood itself.”

“This is a great project,” said Newport City Coun­cilor Lynn Ceglie after the meeting. “The city did have higher offers, ‘but the council and the the city manager felt this was better for the neighbor­hood.”

Brooke Ferreria, who lives on Broadway, ex­pressed concern about traffic and parking.

“Even with Curl Up and Dye moving to the area, that alone has been overwhelming to the street parking,” she said.

She said that if the project failed to address parking concerns it would face resistance from neighbors at the public hearings.

“We are completely ready to tack­le the issues you are talking about,” said IMC artistic director Miki Ohlsen. “We want to make this a great and safe place for kids to come. I can’t say enough of the way we work within our community. That’s a critical piece of who we are in our culture.”

Dance classes will be staggered and a large, circular driveway will allow parents to safely drop students off at the school, Ohlsen said. The profes­sional dancers live nearby, and walk or use bikes, she added. Performances attract between 100 and 150 people.

Scott said that adding 15 more parking spaces is feasible, but it would reduce the amount of imper­vious green space.

The project is required to go through a compre­hensive municipal approval process, including be­fore the Technical Review Committee, which will study issues such as parking and traffic. The proj­ect timeline will depend on that city process, said Scott. He hopes to apply for demolition permits within the month.

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