The University of Rhode Island Board of Trustees approved a 20-year comprehensive campus plan on Sept. 26, involving upgrades across university housing, classrooms and athletic facilities.
Envisioning a modern Kingston Campus built around greenery, one major aspect of the plan is “campus decarbonization,” a process eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from university operations. The process was developed alongside the university Energy and Carbon Reduction Master Plan. The ECRMP was created to guide URI toward compliance with Rhode Island legislation that mandates emission reductions.
Academic buildings will see updates and some disciplines will receive expanded facilities, according to the proposed CCP. White Hall will be renovated and two new health sciences facilities will be built to accommodate the growing nursing program and a potential medical school, according to the plan.
Additional academic facilities will see improvements, according to the CCP. A greenhouse will be built on Plains Road and the school is developing a partnership to create Rhode Island Agricultural Technologies, a research facility near Peckham Farm.
The CCP also proposed 11 new residential buildings, along with renovations for the others. The first of these renovations are already in motion, with the Graduate Village set to be demolished at the end of this academic year. The beginning stages are meant to “de-triple” first-year students, according to Director of Planning and Real Estate Ryan Carrillo.
“I would say it’s a sore point,” said Carrillo. “One of the most raised issues with us is just, the students don’t want to live in triples.”
To avoid paving over any additional campus greenery, the CCP proposes parking structures built on top of existing lots.
“We don’t want to pave the campus,” Carrillo said. “We’ve looked at inserting structured parking garages in various locations.”
The first parking structure added will be a single deck to the Fine Arts Center lot, according to Carrillo. Parking additions are proposed near Keaney Gymnasium, the Brookside Apartments and the end of West Alumni Avenue.
The reimagined Kingston Campus will be more pedestrian friendly, with a new network of bike paths and walkways, according to the plan. A completed accessible path will stretch from the top corner of the quad to Ellery Pond. The campus shuttle service will also be expanded with additional stops, with the aim of increasing campus accessibility.
A proposed shuttle service between the Kingston and Narragansett Bay campuses has been proposed partially as a response to the recent Rhode Island Public Transit Authority service cuts, according to the CCP. The service will also help increase the connection between the two campuses, according to Carrillo.
With the intention to limit interference with campus life, improvements are sectioned into four parts: short-term, near-term, mid-term and long-term, according to the plan. The estimated cost for all proposed projects is $5.2 billion.
A lack of dedicated recreation spaces on campus has a negative affect on students’ experience, according to the CCP. To address this, the plan includes the recently announced Meade Stadium renovations and a new cross country path in the North Woods. The plan also includes a new track and field complex that breaks ground on Thursday at 9 a.m., according to Carrillo.
Other recreation renovations include dining services at Adams Hall and Heathman Hall, as well as two “student life expansions,” which could include smaller lounges or meeting rooms.
The CCP was approved by the Board of Trustees after a presentation from URI President Marc Parlange reporting on the university’s recent accomplishments and a brief overview of the plan.
“One thing you should take away from [the comprehensive plan] is that it’s really about building a sustainable campus for the future,” Parlange said at the September meeting. “A more pedestrian friendly campus and safe campus going forward.”
The 2025 URI Comprehensive Plan is available for viewing on its website.
