Wickford Waterfront Project

The town hired a consultant to prepare plans and submit permitting documents for improvements to the parking lot located off Brown Street in Wickford. The Wickford Waterfront project will implement low impact stormwater management with enhanced green infrastructure to adapt to changing coastal conditions, mitigate stormwater runoff and high tide flooding, which will assist to retrofit and expand the recreational and commercial opportunities in Wickford. The main goals of this project are to maintain an active public area, integral to success of the business community, by minimizing the nuisance flooding that occurs, improving vehicular circulation, and increasing pedestrian access and connections from Brown Street to Wickford Harbor. We will be modifying outlet pipes, adding tide gates to existing outfalls, regrading areas of the parking lot, installing pervious pavement, installing bioswales, and retrofitting the seawall. We’ll also be adding landscaping, lighting, and providing signage as part of the overall project.

The design plans are complete, permitting documents secured and a consultant has been selected to implement the plans. The first phase of the project is underway with work commencing on the reconstruction of the seawall. The seawall reconstruction will take approximately 6 months to complete. While most of the remaining work on the project will begin once the seawall work is complete, some parallel work may be possible while the seawall work is ongoing.

A timeline for the project is available here: Wickford Waterfront Project Construction Schedule

Recent Project Updates:

August Update:

Since the August 18th UPDATE, significant work has been completed on the Brown St parking LOT. RICON has installed the granite wall coping, 12” wood timber rail posts, most of the bio retention area, and the landscaped island (pending mulch and plants). The aggregate sidewalk has just been poured. Upcoming work includes pouring connecting the waterfront to Brown Street. Upcoming work includes laying beach stone pavers, installing the remaining timber piers and decorative roping, and preparing for installation of flush curbs and permeable pavers, and final asphalt top coat and striping, that is to say, an end is in sight and we could not be more thrilled at the beautiful parking lot emerging that will grace and benefit Wickford, its residents, and its businesses alike for many years to come!

July Update:

We’re excited to share that Phase 1 at the entrance has been successfully paved with its first course of asphalt, striped, and is now fully reopened for use. Work is underway on Phases 2 and 3, where the contractor is installing underground drainage, pervious paver parking spots, sidewalks, and the first asphalt course. Each area will reopen as soon as it’s paved and striped, so you can expect gradual access to more spaces over the coming weeks.

Next, Phase 4 will return to the entrance to finish the seawall top and railing, complete remaining sidewalks and drainage work, and add the final pervious paver spots. Small sections of parking may be temporarily closed as crews move along, but we’re coordinating closely to keep as many spots available as possible at all times. Finally, once all groundwork and initial paving are done, we’ll install the top course of asphalt across the entire lot and wrap up final details. Thank you for your patience—your support helps us deliver a safer, more sustainable parking experience for everyone. Stay tuned for further updates as we make steady progress!

June Update: Extra! Extra! Read All About It: Coffer Damn Missing from Wickford!

The Town is pleased to announce that the metal sheeting removal at the Brown St. parking lot has come to a conclusion! Parking Lot Renovation Reaches Fifty Percent Completion. Phase Two Starts Today!

We’re thrilled to share that our downtown parking lot renovation is now fifty percent complete. Today marks the beginning of Phase Two, moving us steadily toward a refreshed and more efficient lot. By combining the original Phases Two and Three into one coordinated effort we anticipate shaving about two weeks off the original schedule. This streamlined approach helps us work faster and with fewer disruptions to nearby Wickford businesses, residents, and visitors. In preparation for the Wickford Harbor Fire event on June 19 the lot will be tidied. Temporary binder paving and interim striping will take place midweek followed by final base paving and permanent markings at a later date.

Please refer to the schedule on this page for more long-term project forecasting and feel free to contact the Planning Department at 401-294-3331.

Past Updates:

The Town of North Kingstown is pleased to announce that, after a brief pause, work on the Wickford Waterfront Improvement project has recommenced. The town has a new contractor, RICON, in place to finish the various components of the project. Their first effort will be focused on finishing the reconstruction of the seawall. Dewatering of this area has started and the stonework is progressing nicely. We anticipate the seawall work to be completed with the sheet piles removed by the end of May. Starting the week of May 19th, portions of the parking lot will be closed to allow the drainage improvements and repaving of the lot to begin. The first phase will include closing the existing entrance to the lot and allowing both ingress and egress through what is currently an exit-only access point next to Shayna’s. We hope the initial asphalt binder course for this first phase will be installed by mid-June.

Please refer to the schedule for a more long-term outlook on the project.

Wickford Sea Wall, A Brief History:

The historic sea wall of Wickford, while not initially recognized in the National Register nomination, stands as a testament to the town's resilience and architectural heritage. Detailed examination of construction techniques through photographs and historic aerial imagery has confirmed the wall's position since at least 1939, underscoring its historical significance. Further cementing its historic status, portions of the sea wall date back to around 1820, and coincide with the construction of the original Brown Street bridge. This bridge, a replacement for one obliterated by the Great Gale of 1815—a hurricane of devastating proportions—connected what was once Champlin Street, now known as Elam Street to what was once known as The Grand Highway, now West Main St. The enduring presence of the sea wall, unaltered through the decades, serves as a silent witness and reminder to Wickford's storied past and its enduring battle against the forces of nature.

Test Your Knowledge: Do you know what a cofferdam is?!

Hint- This impressive feat of engineering actually dates back to at least 539BC when King Cyrus of Persia employed cofferdams for the first time in recorded history to divert the Euphrates River in pursuit of the capture of Babylon!

That's right! If you guessed "a watertight enclosure constructed within a body of water that is then pumped dry to create a dry working environment to allow for construction or repairs to be carried out below the waterline" you were right!!

Often used to aid in construction of bridges, piers, ship repairs, and dams, or in our case parking lot sea wall reconstruction, cofferdams are pretty amazing! And Wickford is playing host to one right now! So next time you find yourself in Wickford enjoy some shopping and dining and take a peek at this incredible feat of engineering and temporary attraction previewed below that will allow us to- "Enjoy Wickford's Brown Street by the water, not under it!"

If you are curious to learn more about how to protect yourself and your property from flooding in North Kingstown, check out the following resource page: Flooding, Flood Insurance, and Community Rating Information | North Kingstown, RI

The plans, bidding specifications and bidder submission are available below.

Some of the work that provided a foundation for this work is available here: