Things are looking good at URI. When the academic year begins in a few short weeks, you’ll see what big thinking and $286 million in construction projects can produce.

You’ll find more dynamic, comfortable, and technological student neighborhoods; teaching, learning, and research space; athletic facilities; and transportation systems.

The revolutionary $150 million College of Engineering complex, including The Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering, will set a new global standard for engineering education and research when it opens this fall. The 190,000-square-foot facility houses cutting-edge teaching and research labs and graduate student areas, and features a unique four-story “bridge,” which consists of three, 270-foot trusses that span 158 feet.

On the campus Quad, there’s been a renovation and expansion of Bliss Hall, the College of Engineering’s historic home. Bliss, which was built in 1928, has gained 15,000 more square feet as part of the project. 

Just across Upper College Road, workers are completing the first phase of work on the Fine Arts Building. The $12.4 million project, which will be completed in August, includes removal of exterior stucco, a new masonry exterior for each unit, new roofs, and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system.

The 500-bed, $94 million Brookside Apartments, scheduled to open in January 2020, will feature furnished apartment suites of six and four single-occupancy bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a full kitchen. Brookside will feature a 40-seat café, run by URI’s nationally recognized dining services, and an outdoor seating area that runs along the restored White Horn Brook and surrounding landscape. A footbridge will connect Brookside to nearby residence halls.

Brookside offers access via a 2-mile extension to the William C. O’Neill Bike Path in South Kingstown, a route featuring both beautiful natural vistas and local shopping and dining. The $2.9 million project is slated for completion in December.

Finally, Meade Stadium will new artificial turf and lights, thanks to a $4.1 million renovation project. The stadium has been the home of URI football since 1928.

“URI is experiencing what could be a historic amount of construction activity undertaken in a very short timeframe,” said Vice President for Administration and Finance Abigail Rider. “From Brookside’s new cafe and beautiful park-like landscaping to the transformational Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering, we will be welcoming back our students, faculty, and staff to some of the best living, learning, athletic, and recreational facilities in the world.”