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PROVIDENCE — Plans to build new dormitories that will provide more than 1,100 additional beds at the University of Rhode Island are moving forward after school officials selected a developer as part of what they described as a new, public-private partnership.
The school picked Providence-based Gilbane Development Company for the project on its Kingston Campus in South Kingstown, R.I., which, when complete, will house undergraduate and graduate students, URI said in a statement.
Construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2025, after a feasibility study is completed.
Gilbane was selected following a request-for-information and request-for-proposal process “that drew interest from several development companies,” school officials said.
Under the partnership, the university will lease land to the development and building company, which in turn will “plan, finance, design, construct, and operate the new residence halls,” school officials said.
“This public-private partnership offers many benefits to the University and our students,” Abby Benson, URI’s vice president for administration and finance, said in a statement.
“The partnership enables us to address the growing demand for on-campus housing expressed by URI students. It also enables us to develop new housing on an accelerated timeline while ensuring fiscal responsibility.”
The plan currently calls for several new residential buildings, outfitted with apartment-style suites, according to URI. Students are expected to move in starting in the 2027 fall semester.
The plan arrives as Rhode Island and New England face a housing crisis, with rents and sales prices driven up by a lack of inventory amid high demand.
The neighboring town of Narragansett has sought to prohibit more than three college students from living in any non-owner-occupied dwelling unit in town. The provision doesn’t specifically target URI students, but the university has a significant off-campus presence in Narragansett.
Increasing on-campus housing is part of URI’s 10-year strategic plan, or “Focus URI,” that was put in place last year.
When the latest project is completed, URI will have added more than 2,000 on-campus beds since 2012, school officials said. Most recently, the school opened the 500-bed Brookside Hall in 2020 and Hillside Hall, which houses more than 400 beds, in 2012, they said.
URI has more than 14,000 undergraduates and more than 2,000 graduate students enrolled for the 2024-2025 school year.
“We know many of our students want to live on campus and value the many benefits of on-campus living, including convenient access to campus resources and amenities,” Ellen Reynolds, URI’s vice president for student affairs, said in a statement. “We are excited to move these plans forward and to offer additional and enhanced on-campus living opportunities for our students.”
Follow Christopher Gavin on X @chris_m_gavin and on Bluesky @chrisgavin.bsky.social.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha will release on Wednesday findings from a multiyear investigation into child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Providence.
According to the attorney general’s office, the report will detail the diocese’s handling of clergy abuse over decades.
While the smallest state in the U.S., Rhode Island is home to the country’s largest Catholic population per capita, with nearly 40% of the state identifying as Catholic, according to the Pew Research Center.
Neronha first launched the investigation in 2019, nearly a year after a Pennsylvania grand jury report found more than 1,000 children had been abused by an estimated 300 priests in that state since the 1940s. The 2018 report is considered one of the broadest inquiries into child sexual abuse in U.S. history.
Neronha’s investigation involved entering into an agreement with the Diocese of Providence to gain access to all complaints and allegations of child sexual abuse by clergy dating back to 1950. Neronha’s office said in 2019 that the goal of the report was to determine how the diocese responded to past reports of child sexual abuse, identify any prosecutable cases, and ensure that no credibly accused clergy were in active ministry.
Rhode Island State Police also helped with the investigation.
Rhode Islanders who plan to join in the global celebration of Irish culture can choose from big and small events, including a parade in Providence.
The March 17 holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, and many big events will be held the weekend of March 14-15. Originally a modest, religious feast day honoring the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day today is a vibrant, boisterous holiday observed by millions of people regardless of their heritage.
The Providence parade is March 21.
We’ve rounded up 10 more events to help you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. But first, are you planning an event this spring? Feature it, so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!
Here’s your guide to St. Patrick’s Day fun in Rhode Island:
Local News
A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.
Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.
The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.
Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.
The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said.
Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.
Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.
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