College of Continuing Education: the Relocation of the College (Rec. Gr. 4)

In a 1993 memorandum to the Facilities Subcommittee of the Board of Governors, President Carothers expressed the need to improve facilities to address the growing population of students attending the College of Continuing Education. A concept first conceived in 1989 and championed by CCE Dean Walter A. Crocker, proposed to utilize the Masonic Temple, the Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the Roger Williams Building and the current CCE building to create an "educational park." If that proved unviable, special appropriations would then be sought to rehabilitate the existing CCE building (See folder 9). The concerns over the need to expand facilities for the College of Continuing Education had been discussed for nearly a decade, beginning in President Eddy's administration and culminating during President Carother's administration with the move of CCE into the old, but newly renovated, Shepard's Department Store building in January 1996. This renovated, centrally-located downtown structure would become the new facility for CCE. The sense of urgency during Carother's administration for the relocation was not driven by student population needs, however, but because the parcel of land that CCE occupied was part of an area scheduled for development as the Mall of New England, later called the Providence Place Mall.

The location of the College of Continuing Education was parcel #13 in the Capital Center planning grid, bound by the Woonasquatuck River, Francis Street, Hayes Street, and Interstate 95 (see folder 3). Owned by Rhode Island, this land had been occupied by state institutions for over one hundred fifty years. The state prison occupied the site in 1836. Also on this site was the Henry Barnard School building (1926-1959) and the Roger Williams Building was built in 1898 to house Rhode Island Normal School, later Rhode Island College of Education (1898-1959). This building later housed Family Court in the early 1970's and then the Rhode Island Department of Education (RICE) and CCE (since 1942). The Henry Barnard School building (1926-1959) was vacated in 1959 and became the home for the College of Continuing Education.

Located south of the State House lawn in Providence, this land was also considered prime real estate for developers hoping to build a shopping mall as part of the revitalization project of Providence called the Capital Center Project, begun in 1980. The idea of a shopping mall was attractive to those who saw economic opportunity coming into Providence in both the building project and the visitors drawn into the city by the mall. In October 1988 the developers, Providence Place, Inc. (later Providence Place Group), acquired the option to buy the seven acre parcel of land for 18 million dollars from the State. Besides purchasing the land adjoining the State land, several obstacles had to be overcome before construction on the mall could begin. The developers had to attract tenants and receive approval by the State Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration for the construction of highway off ramps to access the mall. The mall's developers also awaited approval for funding assistance by the city and state. Once those obstacles were surmounted, CCE and the other tenants had one year to vacate the soon-to-be demolished buildings.

While those issues were being dealt with legally and politically, the relocation concerns for CCE were being addressed. It was a general consensus that the College should remain in a central part of Providence. In November 1988, a relocation study was conducted by Robinson Green Beretta in which prospective relocation sites were reviewed (see folder 14).

In order for the mall construction to get underway, the Barnard School building had to be vacated. The original date on which CCE had to vacate was September 1994. The date was postponed to January 1995, a delay of six months. CCE was then to move to temporary quarters in the Rhode Island College Campus and Mount Pleasant High School, but at the last minute it was decided that the temporary relocation, at an estimated cost of $700,000, was too expensive and would be very disruptive to students. The mall developer agreed to postpone the razing of the buildings until the Shepard's renovation was completed.

Meanwhile, a Site Selection Committee had been busy evaluating possible locations for the College. In 1991, the Committee had selected five possible sites. The Shepard Department Store building was one of these sites. Some members of the Committee, including the Dean, were opposed to this site. The students also had specific concerns which were raised in opposition to the selection of the Shepard's. The concerns centered around security, especially at night, security in the streets and the proposed parking facility which was four city blocks away and the cost for parking. Many students just plain preferred the current location and facility.

Saved from destruction during the Bruce Sundlun administration, the Shepard's Department Store building was bought by the quasi-state Port Authority for 2.5 million in 1992. Options for the use of the 115 year-old building had been considered over the twenty years that the building had been vacant. Pressure from the Sundlun administration and the promise of funding for the renovation influenced the final decision by the Committee to select Shepard's as the site for the CCE. The Port Authority sold $33.6 million in bonds for the renovation. Presbrey and Torrado Architects began the project in November of 1994. Completed in late 1995, the College moved into the building January 1996. The building contains a total of 272,000 square feet; 170,000 square feet of space is dedicated to CCE. It contained more than twice the space of the Barnard School building.