One has had a career in home building and in hospitality as the owner, at one time, of six charter bus companies. He lives in Saunderstown and has been a Rhode Islander all of his life.

The other grew up in Oregon, and although he now lives and works in this part of the country, still has a cell phone with an Oregon exchange. Despite the fact his roots are in the west, he’s the veteran when it comes to rehabilitating lighthouses and converting them into unique bed and breakfast operations.

Both are interested in renovating Conimicut Lighthouse, which has been owned by the city since it was turned over by the federal government in 2004. John Gauvin and Nick Korstad have responded to the city’s request for proposals for use of the lighthouse.

Their intended use for the “spark plug” style lighthouse built in 1883 is similar. They would renovate the structure to accommodate overnight visitors while also making it accessible for public and school tours.

Korstad has done that with the Borden Flats Lighthouse, about 1,000 feet offshore from Fall River. Although smaller than Conimicut and relatively close to shore, Borden Flats has proven to be very popular. Korstad, who was in the midst of cleaning for another round of guests on Saturday, took a moment to talk about his venture and some of the challenges fixing up Conimicut would entail.

He said people from all 50 states plus a number of European countries have stayed overnight at the lighthouse. What makes it unique is that while many lighthouses offer accommodations, people are staying in the lighthouse keeper’s house that is alongside the lighthouse. At Borden Flats, as would be the case at Conimicut, accommodations are inside the lighthouse tower.

“The light is right above where you are sleeping,” Korstad said.

Soon after the city acquired Conimicut, it appeared the city was in line to get $560,000 in transportation funds to renovate the structure and make it accessible to the public. But the grant never materialized, and the city, as it had not done anything to the light, faced the risk of having it revert to the National Park Service, which presumably would have auctioned it off.

The light is on the National Historic Register and holds the distinction of being the last lighthouse in the country to be electrified. That occurred in 1960.

The city sought proposals for use of the light, but no one responded.

When Mayor Scott Avedisian learned what Korstad accomplished at Borden Flats, he arranged for him to visit Conimicut almost two years ago. Following that tour, Korstad submitted a proposal to the city, but the City Council balked because Korstad had not been part of a formal bidding procedure.

Now, as principal planner Rick Crenca points out, the city has the option of two proposals. He will be going through the submissions over the next month and hopes to have a recommendation to the council by November.

Gauvin, who attended the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center, says he graduated from the “school of hard knocks,” having worked for his father, who built 2,000 houses in Rhode Island, including Country Club Estates off Route 117.

“I was looking for the next project, and this is something I could handle, no problem,” he said.

Gauvin said he has also had a 30-year career in hospitality and, as the owner of as many as six bus companies, worked closely with the state’s tourism bureaus. Additionally, he said he owns a hydroelectric plant in Connecticut that he plans to augment with a solar farm, and he would hope to use that technology in powering the light.

The proposals are similar in that Gauvin and Korstad are both looking for 10-year renewable leases and would meet the specifications that the lighthouse be accessible at certain times for educational programs and public tours. Also, they would be completing the renovations at their own cost. The city is looking for a 10-year lease with options to renew for two five-year increments.

Projected costs of the two proposals differ dramatically. Gauvin, who has been in contact with Abcore Restoration, which has restored a number of lighthouses, estimates material costs at $333,300 and labor at $396,000, for a total of $729,000. Under the timeline he proposes, sealing up the light and replacing doors and installing windows that have been boarded up could begin as soon as this fall.

Korstad estimated material costs at $50,657. He didn’t include labor costs, as he would do much of the work, and he said that could vary significantly depending on what is encountered. His proposal suggests the creation of a Conimicut Lighthouse Association that would help with running the facility, as well as a website, and the use of the light for movie shoots and photo contests. He suggests a Conimicut lighthouse license plate.

Korstad is concerned by the foundation to the light, which he said would not be safe in a major storm. Correcting that, he said, would require “strapping” the steel structure. He estimated the cost at $500,000, which he said he would hope to fund through a grant.

Korstad would hope to have a live-in caretaker who would clean the premises and make breakfast for guests. The Borden Flats light is not large enough for a caretaker, so after making preparations, Korstad leaves them on their own for the night.

The fee is $299 per night, and Korstad said he is running 97-percent occupancy for the summer season. Suggested rates at Conimicut during the height of the season from July through September would be $500 a night on weekends and $350 mid-week.

Korstad has had an attachment to lighthouses since he was a boy and is looking to save as many as he can through their conversion. He is looking to do the same with the Stratford Shoal Lighthouse in Connecticut. He is the caretaker for the Hog Island Shoal Light.

At Borden Flats, Korstad brings out fresh water rather than use the lighthouse cistern. It has portable toilets that he dumps into the city wastewater treatment system. At Conimicut, he is thinking of holding tanks that would be pumped to a boat for disposal.

Both Korstad and Gauvin haven’t worked out details of land support and where guests or visitors would board boats. Gauvin thought the boat ramp at Conimicut Point could be a possibility.

In an email, Mayor Scott Avedisian said he had the opportunity to look over the two proposals.

“Two good proposals for the council to choose from.  From my perspective, what is most important is to award an RFP and make the lighthouse an educational and tourist destination for the city,” he wrote.

Ward 4 Councilman Joseph Solomon, who has made saving the light a personal cause, was surprised by the disparity in cost estimates of the two proposals. Solomon said he wants to get a read from the community on how “receptive” they are to use of the lighthouse, adding, “I don’t want the general public exempted from using it.” He also doesn’t want use of the lighthouse interfering with use of the point park.

As for a boat ramp, Solomon would like to see a dock similar to that in Oakland Beach that could be used by the public and the city for launching emergency craft. He would hope the city could win a grant for that project.