EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — By the summer, golfers will be teeing off again on the former Metacomet Country Club property in East Providence.

That’s according to Marshall Properties, the developer that bought the property years ago with plans to turn it into a mixed-use space with residential and commercial buildings.

The developer said the 9-hole public course, which will be known as MetLinks, is on track to open by June after it won approval Thursday from the East Providence Waterfront Commission.

The course plans were already given the green light by the city’s Waterfront District Commission Design Review Committee and the East Providence Planning Board.

“MetLinks will become a cherished recreational destination and a source of pride for East Providence,” Lianne Marshall, principal at Marshall Properties, said in a statement. “We can’t wait to welcome golfers of all ages and skill levels to experience this beautifully restored course this summer.”

The developer said MetLinks preserves and restores historic elements of the original course.

“We take it as a win for the community,” said Candy Seel, a member of the non-profit group Keep Metacomet Green. “It’s a beautiful golf course.”

Seel said their group, which has long opposed redevelopment of the site, is happy the developers have agreed to discuss installing public walking paths on the golf course.

“We felt it just wasn’t right … that the public would only have access to the course if they paid to play golf,” Seel said.

The course is just one phase of the overall redevelopment, which would see a portion of the property transformed into housing and commercial space. Those phases are still in the works.

Seel said Keep Metacomet Green continues advocating for changes to the overall project, like preservation of Veterans Memorial Parkway and reconfiguration of the size of a proposed grocery store and other businesses.

“I want things to be done right for the public that’s here, and not just for the public that’ll be here five years from now,” Seel said.

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