Home Economy Economic Activity URI panel approves campus plan that includes new buildings, pedestrian pathways

URI panel approves campus plan that includes new buildings, pedestrian pathways

Updated at 1:06 p.m.

By

PBN Staff

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09/29/2025

Butterfield Road rendering — THE UNIVERSITY of Rhode Island’s new comprehensive campus plan recommends establishing pedestrian priority routes, roadways that support better accessibility and safety within the center of the Kingston Campus, including one such pathway on Butterfield Road within the residential district. /URI RENDERING/SASAKI ASSOCIATES

SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The University of Rhode Island’s board of trustees has approved a 20-year plan with new buildings and pedestrian pathways that will serve as a roadmap for improving the university’s campuses. URI President Marc B. Parlange said the plan, approved on Sept. 26, will enhance classrooms, laboratories, housing, arts and culture, athletics and

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SOUTH KINGSTOWN – The University of Rhode Island's board of trustees has approved a 20-year plan with new buildings and pedestrian pathways that will serve as a roadmap for improving the university’s campuses. URI President Marc B. Parlange said the plan, approved on Sept. 26, will enhance classrooms, laboratories, housing, arts and culture, athletics and recreation across the South Kingstown, Providence, Narragansett Bay and W. Alton Jones campuses. “We have come a long way – from our founding as a small agricultural school to our position today as a global research university,” Parlange said. “And the work ahead is just as important. At a time when society is asking more of us – more solutions, more leadership, more innovation – this plan gives us the spaces, tools, and direction we need to rise to that challenge. Together, we will continue to build a university that serves and inspires Rhode Island, our region and the world.” The total projected cost for all projects over the life of the plan is roughly $5.3 billion, according to the plan. Each project will have a more detailed cost review once a feasibility study is conducted. This is the university’s first campus plan since January 2000. It will be led by Boston-based Sasaki Associates. The plan calls for academic and residential housing buildings that will be demolished over the next 20 years due to their aging infrastructure and replaced with new and renovated facilities, said URI Associate director of campus design Katherine Kittredge. Also, new infrastructure will be created to add additional open green space across the campuses and develop a more defined trail system in the North Woods. Memorial Union will also undergo renovations as well, the university said. To support the R.I. Department of Transportation’s plans to improve Route 138, the plan proposes installing sidewalks and improved lighting along both sides of Route 138 between the South Kingstown train station and the intersection with Old North Road, enhancing pedestrian access along this corridor. It also supports establishing pedestrian priority routes, including redesigning Butterfield and Complex roads to create a friendlier environment for pedestrians within the campus residential district and incorporating separated bike lanes and new sidewalks on the extension of Farm House Road. Also, a new “central spine” is planned from the University Quadrangle to Ellery Pond on the campus’ western side near the athletic facilities. “This plan provides the URI community a clear direction on how we can not only improve the physical infrastructure of our campuses in ways that are welcoming and accessible but also create a thriving campus atmosphere well into the future,” said Abby Benson, vice president for administration and finance. “This plan supports each of our four Focus URI strategic priorities, and I am grateful to the hundreds of community members who shared their passion for URI and their ideas for its future.” (UPDATE: Plan's projected cost added in 4th paragraph.)