Warren officials are leaning toward working with a Barrington developer and attorney to redevelop the former National Grid site in North Warren, which the town purchased last year for $450,000.

The Warren Town Council is expected to sign a memo of understanding Tuesday, May 12, to work with Barrington resident Giovanni Ciccione, one of two hopefuls to submit proposals to work with the town on the redevelopment of the gateway site adjacent to the Tourister Mill complex. In going forward with Mr. Ciccione, the town would move away from a possible relationship with Brady Sullivan, the developer of the mill complex, which submitted a proposal to work with the town late last year.

On Friday, Warren Town Planner Bob Rulli said the decision to go with Mr. Ciccione and his GC Gateway Warren LLC comes down to several factors:

Brady Sullivan has “so much going on outside of the state that they don’t have the resources” to keep a close watch over the project, he said. “With Mr. Ciccione (being local), it will be easier to work with.”

Mr. Ciccione, an attorney who helped develop the Trafford Restaurant on Water Street, submitted a proposal in February that was similar to Brady Sullivan’s - restore the small brick “gas house” closest to Route 114, and perhaps build a small micro-brewery and office space in an as-yet unbuilt structure that would sit on an old concrete foundation on the site.

According to the proposal he submitted three months ago, the development would be privately funded at a cost of $1.7 million, “although if I have learned anything over the years it is that those estimates can quickly escalate,” he wrote. In return for a 50-year lease with a purchase option after “perhaps” 10 years, he suggested a monthly rent to the town of $1,000 ($12,000 per year). That was slightly higher than Brady SUllivan’s original rental proposal.

Mr. Rulli said the memo of understanding does not include rental payment information, as “we don’t know what the costs will be yet.” Instead, he said, it simply provides the town and Mr. Ciccione a framework to move forward while details are being worked out. 

Despite the town’s recent approval of a small brewpub that is currently being built in a brick warehouse on the south end of the Tourister property, Mr. Ciccione and the town are interested in the possibility of putting another, larger scale brewery operation in the as-yet unbuilt building on the site. The already-approved brewpub, which will be run by The Guild Warren, sits on a portion of the site controlled by Starr Development Partners, not Brady Sullivan, and Mr. Rulli said he sees no conflict. Indeed, he said, the area will be a destination once built out and “there’s room for both.”

The possible brewery could include dining, a larger commercial operation and would also have room for outdoor seating. With Warren known for its eateries, the related operations will complement each other and improve the site, he suggested.

“I think it’s good news for everyone.”

One advantage of working with Brady Sullivan was the ability to seamlessly blend the adjacent mill parking area with the site, connecting through and expanding to the Riverwalk along the Warren River. Mr. Rulli said he continues to work with Brady Sullivan officials, and is optimistic that an easement can be granted which will allow that same arrangement.

“We want to continue the review walk and that’s advantageous” to Brady Sullivan, he said.

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