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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
DEM ANNOUNCES THAT DUNKIN DONUTS/BASKIN ROBBINS SELECTED AS VENDOR FOR NEW VISITOR CENTER ON ROUTE 295 IN LINCOLN PROVIDENCE -- The Department of Environmental Management received approval today from the State Properties Committee to enter a lease agreement with Park Management - 295, Inc. to operate a Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins franchise at the new Blackstone Valley Visitor Center and Park Entrance on Route 295 in Lincoln.The new visitor center, which will be completed in 2005, is a cooperative effort between DEM, the Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration. The facility will be a major gateway to the Blackstone River Bikeway, which is managed by DEM, and the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. Located on the northbound side of the highway, the 9,700 square foot facility will include many tourist, park and bikeway amenities, in addition to the private food concession offering Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins Ice Cream. The Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins franchise will lease 2,800 square feet of space in the visitor center. The initial term of the lease will be ten years, with two additional five-year options for renewal. Park Management - 295, Inc. will pay the state six percent of the facility's gross receipts on a monthly basis. Under the rental agreement with the state, the food concession, restrooms, and other visitor center amenities will be open on a 24-hours a day basis. The vendor will be responsible for the complete day-to-day maintenance of the rest area facility and the parking lot, including cleaning and snow plowing. The lease will also allow Park Management - 295, Inc. to operate a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins franchise on the southbound side of Route 295 should the state build a visitor center on that side of the highway in the future. Park Management - 295, Inc.'s bid to run the food concession was chosen from three proposals submitted in response to a request for proposal issued by DEM in January 2002. The existing 1960s-era building on the site where the new visitor center will be built will be demolished, along with most of the parking and access ramp areas. The former rest stop was closed in the late 1980s due to cost-cutting measures by the state. DEM Acting Director Frederick Vincent commended DEM and DOT staff for bringing this public/private partnership to fruition, noting that it exemplifies the way in which state and federal governments are increasingly working together with the private sector to improve recreational and transportation services. -30- |
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