ProvPort Master Plan

Abstract: ProvPort, Inc. operates the Port of Providence in Rhode Island, which is one of only two deep-water ports in New England, one of five active ports in Rhode Island, and one of the busiest deep-water ports in the northeast. Situated on the west side of the Providence River, the Port covers over 135 acres with 4,200 feet of linear berthing space. ProvPort services both domestic distribution and international trade clients, facilitating import of bulk material (e.g., salt, aluminum oxide, cement, liquid propane, and home heating oils), break bulk steel and lumber products, and components utilized in the growing offshore wind/clean energy industry. In 2023 a record 178 offshore wind vessel calls were completed, and even more are scheduled for 2024. The port has served five offshore wind development projects to date.

The inception of international shipping along Providence’s waterfront dates to the 18th and early 19th centuries. Today, the Port is critical in servicing 2,000 square miles of the economy in Rhode Island, Northeastern Connecticut, and Southeastern Massachusetts. As Providence continues to grow around the waterfront district, many commercial, environmental, technical, and social changes are impacting the region. The Port’s response to these changes is instrumental in creating a sustainable and economically resilient, if not thriving, use of this land. A comprehensive Master Plan demonstrates ProvPort’s commitment to this response.

ProvPort’s Master Plan will be conducted in collaboration with the port operator, the City of Providence and the University of Rhode Island to examine challenges and opportunities in consideration of the local, regional, national, and global context within which the Port and its partners operate. The planning team will conduct inclusive whole community approach that engages broad stakeholders to build consensus by adopting equitable and inclusive practices to integrate the needs and priorities of the community and the Port. The Master Plan will evaluate and identify opportunities for investment in upgrades of outdated infrastructure, accommodation of future transportation and commerce growth areas, protection of facilities and tenants from the negative impacts of extreme storms, surge and sea level rise. The Plan will address capital improvements, eligible financing and funding sources to improve the sustainability and resiliency of the Port with benefits and environmental mitigation of port operations for its neighboring community. A five-year capital improvement plan will initiate the implementation stages for a 30-year vision of Port growth, sustainability, resiliency and commercial success.

The ProvPort Master Plan is currently underway. Presentation of this poster at the 2025 PORTS Conference may be prior to finalization of the plan (targeted as June 2025). The poster will illustrate plan and climate risk scenarios presented to the community with short and long-range alternatives that consider community benefits, environmental protection, green and grey infrastructure improvements. The intent of presenting the ProvPort Master Plan prior to its final completion is to highlight the vision for Providence’s port to the 2025 PORTS Conference attendees visiting its host city.

Please describe the young professional’s contributions to the project, including but not limited to, building a model, writing a technical report, performing calculations, construction administration and observation tasks, and any aspects of design. (500 words max): Kayla Newton is the project manager for the ProvPort Master Plan project. Kayla is the primary point of contact and coordination between team members and stakeholders (i.e., GZA's subcontractors, URI, ProvPort, and the City of Providence). Kayla's role also includes facilitating community outreach, evaluation of existing infrastructure, and assistance in development of the Master Plan text and supporting visuals.