SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Local elected and University of Rhode Island officials on May 8 formally cut the ribbon on the new pier at the university’s Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett.
The pier’s unveiling is the first step of URI’s overall plan to revitalize the Bay Campus. The university said voters in 2018 approved a $45 million bond referendum to build a new pier and fund other projects to improve the Bay Campus, which houses URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography. Another $100 million in bonds was approved this past November to further improve the campus.
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The pier, URI said, is 12.75 feet above mean lower low water, which is more than 5 feet higher than the old pier and consistent with sea-level rise projections provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The dock is 200 feet long and 42 feet wide, with a 210-foot bridge connecting the land to the dock, URI said.
“Having a modern, thriving Bay Campus is going to provide more jobs and spur economic development. This is really going to drive innovation in aquaculture, defense and other industries so important to Rhode Island,” URI President Marc B. Parlange said in a statement. “It’s going to create sustainable, diverse career opportunities for all Rhode Islanders. We are Rhode Island’s university, we are Rhode Island’s flagship research university.”
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.
