Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Providence College Plans $54M Residence Hall

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/17/22

Providence College in Providence, R.I., has developed plans to build a $54-million, six-story residence hall that could potentially open in September 2023. The Providence City Plan Commission voted on Tuesday, March 15, to approve an amendment to the college’s institutional master plan allowing the college to move forward with construction. The new Shanley Hall, to be named after former college president the Rev. Brian Shanley, would cover about 123,000 square feet and contain beds for 355–360 sophomore students, according to local news.

The new building will allow students to temporarily move out of another campus dormitory, Aquinas Hall, which was built in 1939. Aquinas Hall will see its own series of renovations once the building is vacant, said college spokesman Steven Maurano.

“The rooms are fairly small, and the bathrooms really need to be updated,” Maurano said of Aquinas Hall. “And so, when we go in and renovate that building, I expect that we’re going to renovate it such that we have less rooms in it than we do now. Because when we renovate, we’ll make the existing rooms bigger. The bathrooms will be bigger and more modern.”

Shanley Hall will include amenities like lounges, study rooms, quiet alcoves, meeting rooms and communal kitchens, according to local news.

“This particular building is to accommodate students with our present enrollment on campus,” said Mark Rapoza, assistant vice president for capital projects and facilities for Providence College. “That doesn’t mean in the future we won’t be coming forward with an additional amendment somewhere down the road to create some additional beds if we need to be able to do that.”

Shanley Hall would become the college’s first new residence hall since 2005. The university partnered with architectural firm Symmes Maini & Mckee Associates for the facility’s design.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • UT System Approves First Funds for New Campus

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently approved funds to build the first facility of a new campus in far west Fort Worth, Texas, according to university news. UTA West will serve as a branch of the University of Texas at Arlington and is scheduled to open in fall 2028.