The new Maritime Center in Newport, R.I., is scheduled to open in late May.
Located in the historic Newport Armory, the $1.46 million facility is owned by the city. The project has been in the planning stages since 2008.
Designed for transient boaters, the aim is to provide all of the amenities visitors require to make their harbor stay enjoyable.
The armory, erected by the state of Rhode Island to house the R.I. Militia in 1884, is in the heart of the harbor and waterfront business district.
The Maritime Center project, designed by Torrado Architects, has rehabilitated 8,000 square feet of the building. Facilities will include storage lockers, restrooms and showers, laundry, vending machines, a lounge with charts and Internet access, a concierge/information desk and office space for the facilities manager, and display cases for the brochures of local attractions.
The adjacent Ann Street Pier offers public dockage for vessels as large as 40 feet, a dinghy dock, pumpout facility, trash disposal and a stop for the Harbor Shuttle.
