Business Licenses and Permits

One of the most iconic landmarks on Rhode Island’s Block Island has finally been granted a comprehensive business license, raising hopes that it may now be sold after being out of operation for two years.

The Surf Hotel, which is situated in the heart of the island’s only town, was shut back in 2008.

And while Block Island Ventures, which is based in Warwick, Rhode Island, had submitted plans to convert the venue into a high-end restaurant, a lack of a full business license, particularly a license to sell liquor, meant that those plans never left the ground.

However, the Block Island Times has reported that the Board of License Commissioners has finally given the proposed venture its seal of approval, citing both public support and the demands of the local business community as factors behind its decision.

Welcoming the news, Mike Ballard of the Historic District Commission (HDC) told the newspaper, “I think I can speak for the HDC in saying we are very much in support of this project to maintain this building as an icon for the island.”

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