WARWICK – The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is expected to start a multimillion-dollar renovation for its new facility in Warwick this month.
Renovation of the building, a 29,000-square-foot facility at 155 Plan Way that previously served as the operational headquarters for Plan International USA, will cost $2.4 million, which the organization is expecting to raise through a focused campaign.
“The RISPCA’s new, environmental-friendly facility in Warwick will provide a central platform for a significant expansion of its services,” the organization said in a statement.
The nonprofit purchased the facility to meet its growing need for a larger space and to serve the population throughout the state. The RISPCA funded the $2.5 million purchase of the building via a previous campaign and is expecting to raise the additional money needed for the renovation over the course of three years. Occupancy is expected to start by March 2023.
“I am concerned that the cost to renovate our new facility will be greater than initially anticipated due to the current inflationary cycle and that supply chain issues may add stress to our project schedule, but we will continue to [do] our best to meet increasing needs,” Wayne M. Kezirian, president and general agent of RISPCA, said in an email to PBN.
Upon completion, the Plan Way building will provide administrative office and meeting space, on-site quarantine facilities, 40 presentation kennels, and indoor training and socialization areas, among other features. It will also be adjacent to a natural dog walking area.
The organization currently owns a facility in East Providence that will undergo a $200,000 renovation, bringing the total renovation costs to $2.6 million. Its Animal Health Center, a full-service veterinary clinic currently located in the East Providence facility, will move to the Warwick facility and more than double in size, while an urgent veterinary care clinic will open in the East Providence building. The new facility will also allow RISPCA to provide proper quarantine facilities for cats and dogs needing to isolate, something that is not currently possible at the East Providence building.
“The added capacity provided by the new building in Warwick will significantly improve our ability to provide much needed mission-based services for Rhode Island’s animals and communities,” the RISPCA said in a statement.
The organization provides animal adoption, training support and pet owner assistance programs in the state, in addition to veterinary services. It is the oldest nonprofit animal welfare organization in the state and the third oldest in the country.
Claudia Chiappa is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Chiappa@PBN.com.
