Bryant University Expands Campus with Property Donation

Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., recently announced plans to expand its campus after a real estate donation from nearby Fidelity Investments, according to a news release. The 250,000-square-foot space at 100 Salem Street will play home to the school’s College of Business, Graduate Programs office, Executive Education and Career Accelerator, and the Women’s Leadership Institute in conjunction with the university’s Vision 2030 initiative.

The building is the largest real estate gift in university history since 1967, the news release reports. In addition to the above programs, it will also provide space for extracurricular activities and student gatherings, both formal and informal.

The university will renovate the space to feature classrooms, lab space, entrepreneurial innovation space, faculty and administrative space, and meeting and gathering spaces. The building’s design is intended to foster student engagement in design thinking, financial technology, professional sales, AI, and data analytics. It will also allow for the founding of the “Innovative and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem” initiative, which will help business students in bringing projects from the initial idea to securing capital funding. The new program will help collaboration between university students and faculty and various industries throughout the state.

According to the news release, Bryant University’s Vision 2030 program will continue to encourage investment in academic excellence and facilities, experiential learning, and Top 1% student outcomes.

“What an extraordinary opportunity to leverage what Bryant already does so well—create real-world-ready graduates,” said David Beirne, Bryant University Board of Trustees Chair. “Our goal is to provide the number-one undergraduate business education in the nation. The expansion of our campus gives the entire university, and the College of Business specifically, needed innovation space for our students to ideate bold, future-forward visions to transform the world. Fidelity understands and appreciates the impact of Bryant graduates. We are grateful for their continued investment in our students and our future.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at mjones@1105media.com.

Featured

  • Integem Releases New AI-Powered AR Software Platform

    Integem recently announced the release of iPlayer EDU, an AI-powered software platform featuring augmented reality (AR) technology that allows teachers to create immersive educational experiences, according to a news release. The software also includes interactive lessons on a variety of subjects, including planets in the solar system.

  • Shaping Campus Identity: The Crucial Role of Landscape Architecture in Campus Design

    Landscape architecture plays a crucial role in shaping the overall experience, functionality, and identity of college and university campuses. The design and layout of outdoor spaces influence everything from the interactions between students to the ease with which people navigate the campus. A thoughtfully designed campus provides not only a functional environment for daily activities but also a space that inspires academic success and fosters personal growth.

  • College of the Desert Starts Construction on New Campus Location

    College of the Desert recently announced that it has broken ground on its new Palm Springs campus in Palm Springs, Calif., according to a news release. The multiple-building campus consists of 175,000 square feet of new construction and will cost an estimated $268 million.

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.