There is a small nonprofit organization on Block Island that has had an oversized impact on the island over the past forty-plus years: Block Island Economic Development Foundation, Inc. Established in 1977, BIED’s primary objective is “to promote adequate housing opportunities to retain a year-round population on Block Island, to promote reasonable-cost energy and utilities, to promote education in areas related to the economic and environmental well-being of Block Island.”BIED has worked tirelessly on the island to achieve its objectives, and has a slew of accomplishments, including establishing the Farmers Market and the Spring Street Gallery. BIED serves as the parent organization of the farmers market, which is held twice a week in the summers. The gallery works as a cooperative of local artists and craftspeople who use the space to display their wares in exchange for volunteering at the gallery. BIED leases the building, provides a manager, and has made numerous improvements to the building over the years.
BIED has focused much of its energy on housing over the years, beginning with the E. Searles Ball Memorial Housing in 1989. This is a 16-unit rental project for persons of low or moderate income. Rent is based on
