East Providence approves 11 Riverside homes and starts Riverside Square study

East Providence has approved plans for 11 new housing units at the former Platt-Watters school site in Riverside, while launching a separate planning effort that could guide future commercial activity, public space and investment around Riverside Square.

The housing plan covers eight single-family homes and three duplexes. The East Providence Planning Board approved a subdivision into eight 7,500-square-foot lots and three 10,000-square-foot lots in July 2026. The City Council rezoned the three larger parcels for affordable housing.

The approvals convert a vacant former school property into a planned residential development, but the announcement does not say that construction has begun. It also does not identify the builder, construction schedule, completion date, final prices or income limits for the affordable homes.

Former school site cleared in spring

The former Platt-Watters and Burnside school buildings were demolished in spring 2026. The approved subdivision follows that demolition and sets the lot sizes for the planned homes.

The three parcels designated for affordable housing are part of the 11-unit plan; the announcement does not characterize all 11 units as affordable. It also does not say whether the units will be built at the same time.

The city has linked the housing project to rising housing costs. Its announcement cited a comparison involving East Providence home prices in 2014 and 2021 and said the median price had exceeded $300,000 during the cited background period. Those figures are historical comparisons, not a current market statistic.

Riverside Square planning begins in September

East Providence also announced a Riverside Downtown Revitalization planning project scheduled to begin in September 2026. The city said the effort is intended to promote, activate and revive Riverside Square.

The planning project is not an announcement that Riverside Square has already been revitalized. Instead, it will establish a planning process that could influence future commercial activity, public spaces and investment in the neighborhood.

A separate city request for proposals concerns the former Oldham School at 640 Bullocks Point Avenue. That document describes a proposed small-business incubator and public-private partnership. It is a separate Riverside redevelopment effort from the 11-home Platt-Watters site approval and the Riverside Square planning project.

For Riverside residents, the next stated milestone is the start of the revitalization planning project in September. The housing announcement provides the approved lot layout and affordable-housing designation, but no construction or occupancy deadline.