Spring Break
URI holds groundbreaking ceremony for new $60 million biotechnology center
Jennifer Scungio
Issue date: 3/28/07 Section: News
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Amgen, a Rhode Island biotechnological drug manufacturing company, helped kick off the building's fundraising efforts with a $1 million donation.
Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri, URI President Robert L. Carothers and URI Vice President of Administration Robert Weygand were among several speakers who praised the collaborative efforts of the university, the state and its citizens in support of the endeavor.
"This is such an exciting day and so many people have been a part of [the construction process], Carcieri said. "When I [became governor], I said look, if we're going to build the kind of economy for the future of our state and for our nation, we have to be smart in how we invest … I feel very strongly that this university needs to be in a leadership position for science and technology in our state and we needed to invest and build on that."
The groundbreaking ceremony comes after the passing of a state bond referendum in November's election. Voters approved a $50 million toward construction of the new building. After Amgen's contribution, the remaining $9 million will be funded by private donations to the URI Foundation's Make a Difference Campaign.
"Amgen is truly excited to be a part of today's event and partner with the University of Rhode Island in building this great center," Kimball Hall, vice president and general manager of Rhode Island operations for Amgen, said. "We are truly committed to ensuring science education and science literacy around our community … you are creating an environment for our future leaders that will help save millions of lives."
The building, set for completion by early 2009, will be part of a new science Quad that will change the landscape of the northern section of the university. The $60 million center will not only be home to state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities, but will also become the center of a statewide effort in building a new economy for Rhode Island.
"In these research laboratories and in these teaching rooms will be the education of the leaders of that new economy, and the development of research that will support the many biotechnology industries in Rhode Island and the many more that's to come," Carothers said. "Our students who come out of that program will add a new dimension to the workplace here in Rhode Island."
Carothers said since Carcieri's election into office, he has been an advocate of what the university is looking to accomplish in the biotechnology field.
"From the very beginning he has had a vision of what the new economy of Rhode Island will look like, and what the workers need to do to be a part of that," Carothers said. "He made it possible for this to move through the General Assembly and onto the ballot and gain support from the people of Rhode Island."
Upon being elected, Carcieri said he created a Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council, which Jeff Seemann, dean of the College of Environment and Life Sciences and master of ceremonies for yesterday's event, co-chaired.
Carcieri said Seemann helped to develop a plan for URI to become a leader in science and technology fields in Rhode Island.
"I feel that we will look back 20 to 25 years from now and look at what's happening at this university - the kind of grads that are coming out of here, the kind of research and talent here - and then look at what is happening across the state, we'll be convinced we did the right thing," Carcieri said.
The 140,000 square foot building will be five stories tall. The building itself will be in the form of an "L," with a majority of the labs and classrooms being in the longer section of the "L." Research suites will be on various floors throughout the other side of the building.
In addition to research and teaching facilities, the building will include a 300-seat auditorium, a double helix staircase, a plaza atrium, an aquarium tank room and graduate work areas.
Seemann said construction by Gilbane Co. is expected to start within a month.
Upon completion, the current Biological Sciences Center will be demolished. Taking its place will be a new pharmacy building that administrators said could begin construction as early as next year.
Following the completion of the pharmacy building, the nursing and chemistry departments will each have their own new structure in the future and will form a life and health sciences hub.
"This is the vision for building a new culture for learning," Weygand said. "There are few campuses throughout the country that have this kind of physical and cultural premise and will be developed in this way. This is a great place to live, work and learn and we want to charge forward with our new motto, 'We are the University of Rhode Island, your leader in research technology.'"
