CCRI field house good for 2020 high school grads, but not class of '21

By JOHN HOWELL
Posted 1/16/20

By JOHN HOWELL CCRI's plan to temporarily relocate Student Services housed on the first and second floors of the Knight Campus to the field house won't impact plans to use the space for Pilgrim and Toll Gate high school graduations this year, but that

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CCRI field house good for 2020 high school grads, but not class of '21

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CCRI’s plan to temporarily relocate Student Services housed on the first and second floors of the Knight Campus to the field house won’t impact plans to use the space for Pilgrim and Toll Gate high school graduations this year, but that won’t be the case for the class of 2021.

Amy Kempe, CCRI spokeswoman, said Wednesday the schools would be welcome to use the Flanagan Campus field house in Lincoln, which she noted is 20,000 feet larger than that in Warwick. Warwick schools have used the Lincoln field house for graduations, although not in recent years.

CCRI used to conduct its graduation ceremonies at either the Warwick or Lincoln campus, but with larger classes have moved to the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence.

Kempe said the transition of Student Services to the field house wouldn’t start until late June after the basketball and baseball seasons have come to a close. Sports programs run out of the field house would be re-housed at Flanagan. Redesign and reconstruction of the existing Student Services space, which occupies about 30,000 square feet, is expected to take about two years.

Kempe said the redesign and reconstruction of student services is aimed at making the space more accessible. She said the existing space would be brought down “to the studs.” The renovations also include construction of an elevator, making the second floor and the entrance into the great hall more accessible to the handicapped.

Kempe said cost estimates for the project would become available after design is completed and following requests for proposals from contractors. CCRI had looked at using modular offices in place of the field house for Student Services, but the estimated cost of $2 million was “prohibitive,” Kempe said.

Kempe said the redesign of student service facilities at the Knight Campus was identified as a high priority in the 2018 master facilities plan of all four campuses.

“The plan supports and advances the three core goals of CCRI’s strategic plan: enhance student success and completion, expand partnerships and programs, and strengthen institutional effectiveness,” according to a statement Kempe sent to the newspaper.

It goes on to say the plan was developed through a process that engaged the full CCRI community, including faculty, staff and students, to identify a set of priority initiatives to address the most urgent facility needs and to improve the ability to support staff and students.

“Many campus spaces have seen little change during almost 50 years of use and do not support the needs of the college or its students today,” it says.

The statement further explains existing spaces were developed piecemeal over time, are fragmented and are not structured in ways that allow staff to most effectively support students.

“The anticipated redesign of our Student Services space will include efficient and welcoming spaces for records and admissions, opportunities and outreach, advising and counseling, career services, financial aid, the bursar’s office, testing facilities, health services, disability services, and veterans’ services.”

CCRI Athletics are located across two field houses – the Knight Campus in Warwick and the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln. Of the two facilities, the Flanagan Campus field house is significantly larger at 64,700 square feet and offers more amenities, including multiple basketball, tennis and volleyball courts; a pool; an indoor track; and a fully-equipped weight room, as well as outdoor training and recreational spaces.

Of the nine varsity team sports and four club sports the college supports, only three – baseball and men’s and women’s basketball – practice and/or compete entirely out of the Knight Campus. The college engaged with the Athletics Department to develop a plan to limit disruption of those sports during the construction and continues discussions to accommodate practice and game needs not provided at the Flanagan complex, Kempe said.

CCRI sports information director Dan Lacorbiniere said elimination of the Warwick field house would require a lot of rescheduling and the loss of “real homes” (offices) for some coaches. He said it would be logistically difficult, yet “a new and exciting challenge.”

Kempe said,  “While there is no long-term plan at this time to consolidate Athletics at the Flanagan Campus beyond the immediate need, we continually evaluate how to utilize our physical spaces to best serve all our students. As we have done so throughout the facilities planning process, we will continue to engage our faculty, staff and students to learn how to serve the needs of our college and all those who work, teach and learn here.”

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