This week the Preservation Society of Newport County scored a small victory in its efforts to bring a visitor center to The Breakers, one of Newport’s many famous mansions that dates back to the Gilded Age.
The battle over the welcome center began in 2014 when caretakers of The Breakers laid out plans for a building that would serve as an information center and snack area. Newport’s Historic District Commission voted against the plans and the case bounced through the zoning board and courts since.
Now the Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled in favor of upholding a zoning permit to begin construction. In spite of its win in court, the Preservation Society faces other zoning issues before it can move forward with its plans.
A neighborhood group has acted as the main opposition to the project, citing concerns over maintaining the property’s historical feel. The group has garnered support from the Vanderbilt family, which built the Newport mansion and sold it to the Preservation Society in 1972.
