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Current News > DEM Announces Closure of
Food and Beverage Concession at Blackstone River State
Park Visitor Center in Lincoln
Current News
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.
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