Changes Made to Frenchtown Commons Project

A proposal to build a large, mixed-use development on the North Kingstown-East Greenwich town line off Frenchtown Road is back up for discussion at this Tuesday night's North Kingstown Planning Commission meeting.

The 33-acre retail shopping center, with about 10 acres in East Greenwich and the remaining in North Kingstown, would include a big box store. Initial plans included a residential component and movie theater, but both have been scrapped by developers. 

The town line cuts through the L-shaped development, with the big box store sitting on the North Kingstown side. In the project's pre-application, the big box store was listed at 137,450 sq. ft. but has now been scaled back to 132,580 sq. ft. The new plan has the store moved to the area adjacent to the former Brown & Sharpe property. .

Aside from the big box store, the plan (called "Commons at Frenchtown Road") also calls for a 10,000 sq. ft. restaurant, a 10,000 sq. ft. retail building and a two-story, 75,000 sq. ft. building labeled as mixed use on the East Greenwich side.

On the North Kingstown side, the project lists a 3,300 sq. ft. fast food restaurant, a 4,100 sq. ft. bank, a 10,450 sq. ft. retail building, an 11,480 sq. ft. building, 12,900 sq. ft. pharmacy buiding and a two three-story 48,000 sq. ft. office buildings.

A fiscal impact study that accompanied the new plans states the project (at full build-out) could create 890 full-time jobs and generate $422,000 in taxes for North Kingstown and $160,000 for East Greenwich.

Developers are seeking a zoning change for the property from light industrial to commercial highway.

Tuesday's meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. at the North Kingstown Town Hall, 55 Brown Street in Wickford.