The University of Rhode Island’s 98-year-old Fernwood building was finally taken down earlier this month, almost four years after impending maintenance costs outweighed the possibility of renovation.
The building, which was originally constructed as a residency building in 1936 before being donated to the University, most recently served as office space for URI’s department of communicative disorders until its eventual vacancy in 2020. After several concerns about the building’s conditions came to light, it was eventually determined that it would be demolished with an originally-planned date of summer 2022.
“It’s typical of several University buildings…that were converted into offices, they lack a lot of infrastructure that’s really needed for offices,” said Ryan Carrillo, the director of planning and real estate development. “[Fernwood] wasn’t [Americans with Disabilities Act] compliant, so it proved problematic.”
Although a ramp was installed to the first floor of the building in an attempt to fix the accessibility issue, levels two and three remained inaccessible, Carrillo said, and this was far from the main point of concern. Other infrastructure issues included a broken heating system and roofing issues, despite an effort to replace half of the leaking roof nearly eight years ago.
“Our goal is to, over time, holistically, give access to all spaces,” Carrillo said. “Just to install the elevator alone would’ve actually exceeded the value of the structure…the building was in degraded condition.”
Eventually, the University conducted a study meant to determine the costs of making necessary fixes versus moving out of the building completely, and determined that latter to be the more financially sound plan.
In 2020, as a result of the study, they executed a new lease agreement that saw the communicative disorders offices move to a nearby space in the Independence Square building, adjacent to their existing clinic where they currently reside.
Since the move, the building has remained vacant, with the exception of a few first responder training exercises conducted by the local fire and police department, Carrillo said.
One of the first steps in the comprehensive demolition process was working through a state purchasing plan to find an architect who could design plans for the building’s deconstruction, according to Carrillo. This included the complete removal of the foundations, and selection of topsoil and grass seed that would temporarily fill the space while it awaits a new suitor.
Additionally, as is standard with all buildings 50 years or older, the University had to work closely with the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission offices to seek approval for the demolition.
One of the main delays to the destruction of the building since its initial decision almost four years ago, Carrillo said, was the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2021. The Asset Protection Source, which is a funding source used campus-wide for building maintenance, took a major hit that year. This forced the University to prioritize other more pressing concerns.
“In any one year, we’ll get $14 million right now,” Carrillo said. “Because of the pandemic, in 2021 we only received $2.5 million. We had to put this project on hold.”
Fernwood was the first of three buildings demolished as part of the project, along with two smaller structures in disrepair on the outskirts of campus near Plains Road.
In terms of a future use for the site, Carrillo said there was not yet a plan for what might occupy the space in the future. For now, the site will remain vacant, but he said the site opened the door for many opportunities and the University is studying their options.