January 5, 2012 - DEM
Announces Closure of
Food and Beverage
Concession at Blackstone
River State Park Visitor
Center in Lincoln
PROVIDENCE – The
Department of
Environmental Management
announces that food
amenities are not
currently available at
the Blackstone River
State Park Visitor
Center on Route 295 in
Lincoln. The Department
is seeking a new tenant
to operate a
food/beverage service at
the facility, and will
be advertising a Request
for Proposals to solicit
a new food concession in
the near future.
The
visitor center and its
restroom facilities are
open daily from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Staffing is
provided by DEM’s
Division of Parks and
Recreation along with
volunteers from the
Blackstone Valley
Tourism Council, who
offer informational
materials on Blackstone
Valley tourism sites and
nearby amenities. This
schedule will remain in
place until a new vendor
is found for the
facility. Three
port-a-johns have been
placed in the parking
lot for after-hours use
by truckers and other
travelers.
The
visitor center is a
major gateway to the
Blackstone River
Bikeway, which is
managed by the
Department of
Environmental
Management, and to the
John H. Chafee
Blackstone River Valley
National Heritage
Corridor, which
stretches from Pawtucket
to Worcester, MA. The
center provides easy
access to the 10 miles
of bike path currently
open to the public in
Central Falls, Lincoln,
and Cumberland, as well
as a convenient location
for patrons to park
their vehicles and
unload their bikes. It
also offers access to
several focal points in
the Blackstone Valley,
such as the Wilbur Kelly
House Museum, the
Blackstone Canal, and
the Blackstone River.
Located
on the northbound side
of Route 295, the
complex features a 9,700
square foot colonial
post and beam visitor
center. The attractive
red structure houses
many tourist, park, and
bikeway amenities, a
Rhode Island State
Police satellite office,
and a satellite office
for DEM's Division of
Parks and Recreation.
The facility also
provides long-haul truck
parking, allowing truck
drivers to pull off the
highway safely to sleep.
A popular farmers’
market operated by DEM’s
Division of Agriculture
is available at the
visitor center from May
through October.
