PROVIDENCE – Brown University announced Tuesday its plans to build a new integrated life sciences building in the city’s Jewelry District.
The Ivy League institution said the facility will provide new laboratory space for biology, medicine, brain science, bioengineering and public health researchers to work collaboratively on important health-related issues. The university’s current research facilities, such as the Biomedical Center and Sidney E. Frank Hall for Life Sciences on College Hill, among others, are currently at or near full capacity, Brown said, and some need major maintenance or renovation.
When Your Period Is Disrupting Your Life, It’s Time to Talk About It
For many women, heavy or irregular menstrual cycles are often brushed off as “normal”—something to…
Learn More
Having the new life sciences building be in the Jewelry District will bring researchers closer to scientists and physicians at the university’s Warren Alpert Medical School, the School of Public Health, the School of Engineering and Brown’s affiliated hospital partners, the university said.
In a statement, Brown President Christina H. Paxson said it’s the university’s goal to further advance positive impacts on biological and life sciences research done at Brown, and hopes to do so with the new life sciences building.
“As we begin planning for a major new facility in Providence that will enable integration across fields of expertise, we look forward to innovative life sciences breakthroughs for generations to come,” Paxson said.
It will take a few years for the new life sciences building coming to fruition, however. The Corporation of Brown University’s committee on budget and finance approved in May for the board to authorize the selection process to identify an architect for the project, and selecting an architect will take between three to six months, Brown said.
From there, while a project timeline will emerge during the planning phases, Brown is estimating construction on the new building will take between four to five years to complete.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
