The Newport Planning Board has unanimously approved a long-awaited development at 525 Broadway that will add 38 one-bedroom apartments aimed at easing the city’s housing crunch.
The 8-0 vote came Monday night after months of hearings and debate. The project, averaging 500 square feet per unit, includes four apartments designed for work-from-home use. It will provide year-round workforce housing with no subletting allowed. Construction is set to begin in November 2025 and finish by August 2026.
“This project provides the workforce housing the city so desperately needs,” said the team representing local developer Conor Melville, pointing to overwhelming demand for similar units and a shortage of housing for teachers, nurses, military personnel, and hospitality workers.
The plan includes 41 parking spaces, added landscaping, and underground stormwater storage to improve runoff conditions. Traffic engineers concluded the project would not increase congestion or create traffic hazards.
Councilors raise concerns
Two Newport City Council members — Steph Smyth and Ellen Pinnock — stunned many by testifying against the project. Both campaigned on promises to deliver housing solutions, yet opposed yet another effort to address Newport’s crisis.
Their opposition comes on the heels of their April votes against the former Coggeshall School housing plan, which will provide 32 additional units. In both cases, Smyth and Pinnock stood alone, out of step with their colleagues and the city’s push for more workforce housing.
The move drew sharp criticism from residents, who noted that City Councilors should not pressure boards they appoint. Opponents called it a conflict of interest and an ethics concern, blurring the lines of responsibility between lawmakers and regulators.
For many, the councilors’ actions underscored how far some local leaders are from the solutions they campaign on. At a time when Newport workers are struggling to find a place to live, Smyth and Pinnock’s opposition seemed both out of touch — and out of step with the unanimous Planning Board.
“This won’t solve the housing crisis on its own,” Melville said, “but it’s a step in the right direction.”
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