The University of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay Campus is already undergoing major renovations, with upcoming plans for even more, according to Ryan Carrillo, the URI director of planning and real estate development.
The master plan for these renovations started in 2016, leading the project to be completed in different phases, according to Carrillo. Phase I includes the Ocean Robotics Lab, which is already under construction and is projected to be open and usable by spring 2026.
Renovation plans for future phases of the project will be for the Graduate School of Oceanography and the Ocean Engineering Program, according to Carrillo. For the Graduate School of Oceanography, there will be a new building named the Ocean Frontiers Building, which will be 43,000 square feet and located south of the existing Horn Laboratory.
Horn is also going to be demolished, leaving room for the Bay Campus quad to be expanded, according to Carrillo. Also for the Graduate School is the renovation of Watkins Laboratory, north of the quad.
“Now we’ll provide them with more teaching, lab, classroom space, ADA-compliant restrooms and such,” Carrillo said.
Once those changes are complete, the Center for Atmospheric Chemistry Studies Building will also be demolished.
The Ocean Engineering Program, currently housed in the Sheets Building and Middleton Building, will also have new spaces for their program, according to Carrillo. The plan is to replace the Sheets Building with newer facilities.
“We’ll be building a new building which will house a new, larger, expanded 100-meter wave tank [and] a 30 by 30 meter acoustics tank,” Carrillo said.
Carrillo said that this project considers its environmental impacts; notably, the consolidation of parking to one specific lot and accounting for other sustainability issues when building new facilities.
“When those buildings were constructed, there wasn’t nearly the environmental sensitivity that we have now,” Carrillo said. “So, when they get taken offline, and we build these new buildings, we’ll be building in all of the modern protections for the environment: stormwater management, bioswales, ways to treat and to lessen the water runoff.”
The project also sets targets for being LEED Certified, which is a program that dictates how environmentally sustainable each part is, depending on the level, silver, gold or platinum, according to Carrillo.
A potential Coastal Access Venue will be added as well, according to the Framework Plan,.
“This proposed program for the facility would include meeting rooms, locker rooms and other team facilities, along with a proposed viewing deck,” the plan said. “This project has the potential to be a catalyst for future campus development, drawing more students and community members to campus to participate in sailing programs.”
The team’s efforts are supported by Rhode Island voters and the state, according to Carrillo. The state of Rhode Island gave the team $25 million from Rhode Island Capital Improvement funds, $100 million from a bond that was previously voted on, money from the university and about $4 million in private donations.
“We do always want to thank the voters for their participation,” Carrillo said.
This project has been discussed at previous meetings of the Board of Trustees, a place where people can give their feedback about the project. For other questions and comments, Carrillo said that those interested can reach out to Katherine Kittredge, the Associate Director of Campus Design.
