PROVIDENCE – Providence College kicked off construction on a new six-story residence hall, with a groundbreaking held on April 13, at the site of the project on Eaton Street that’s long been used as part of a student parking lot.
The new 120,000-square-foot property will be known as Shanley Hall, named in honor of former Providence College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, who led the college for 15 years until June 2020. Shanley is now the president at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y. Shanley was present for the groundbreaking ceremony alongside current Providence College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard.
The $54 million project is expected to be completed by September 2023, the college said in a recent announcement about the groundbreaking.
Dimeo Construction Co. is the general contractor, the college said, and the Cambridge, Mass.-based Symmes Maini & McKee Associates Inc. is the architect for the project.
The college said it is not adding additional beds as a result of the project, but the new facility “will allow the college to begin renovations of some of our existing residence halls, which we will have to take offline to achieve.”
The college said it’s looking forward to renovating Aquinas Hall, which was built in 1939. The renovation would occur in two phases, with the first one expected to start in the summer of 2024. The renovation will result in larger dorm rooms and modern bathrooms, the college said.
Shanley Hall will be the first new dormitory built on campus since 2005, when McCarthy Hall opened.
Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockPBN.
