As the spring semester begins to wind down, construction only continues to ramp up around the University of Rhode Island’s campus.
Paul DePace, the director of URI’s Capital Projects division, along with Kenny Burke, the associate director, discussed some of the many different projects URI has been working on, along with some that will be finished by the time students move back in for the Fall semester.
The first of these projects is the renovation of the Tootell West Gym, which over the past year, has undergone a significant transformation to become the Soloviev Practice Facility for the men’s and women’s basketball programs.
“The old flooring has been taken out, and new flooring put in… the branding is substantially finished, complete with video displays, so it’s quite an interesting product, very ‘go Rhody’ for both of our programs,” Burke said.
The facility has found support throughout its construction process from not just the athletics department and URI’s administration, but also from past alums of the University.
“This project was mostly supported by alumni donations,” DePace said.
Both DePace and Burke said they are excited about the project’s completion, as both are URI alums themselves and as DePace put it, “we both bleed blue.”
Staying in the athletics department, the historic Meade Stadium, home to URI’s football program, will be adding new stair towers to the main grandstand structure, in accordance with new fire code regulations recently implemented by the state of Rhode Island. The regulations have resulted in a reduced capacity for Meade Stadium until the towers could be finished, which resulted in fewer fan accommodations for a historic season this past fall.
“There will also be some replacement of the [bleacher] seating, as well as some structural repairs,” Burke said.
Some smaller-scale projects that will also be occurring during the summer window are repairing the facade in the front of Keaney Gymnasium to eventually remove the tarp that has covered the front for a while. In addition, a new main entrance sign is in store for URI on Upper College Road, replacing the historic stone one that has greeted visitors and students alike for many years, as well as the demolition of the old WRIU radio tower in order to make way for a new one.
But Kingston isn’t the only URI campus where some projects will be taking place.
After the citizens of South Kingstown voted “Yes” on Question 1 in this past November midterm election, work has already commenced in the Narragansett Bay Campus to begin its revitalization, starting with a new ocean pier that will be ready to receive the Narragansett Dawn research vessel from its time in Louisiana. The ship is scheduled to arrive sometime towards the end of 2023.
Along with this project, “Phase 1” has just begun on the campus, which consists of constructing a new parking lot and additional utilities to support Bay Campus programs, and laying the foundation for a state-of-the-art Ocean Robotics Laboratory, with construction projected to finish in the summer of 2025.
Even though students will be finishing their final exams and moving off campus very soon, it is shaping up to be a busy summer in Kingston.
“I know it seems like a lot, but that’s what we have going on for this summer, and there will be more next summer, and the summer after that,” Burke said.