Overview

LiRo-Hill provided program management services for the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) New Engineering Building, a transformative project designed to enhance engineering education and research. This state-of-the-art building aims to support teaching and research while fostering growth in Rhode Island companies that rely on cutting-edge research and innovation.

In addition to fulfilling traditional Owner’s Project Manager responsibilities, LiRo-Hill played a crucial role in identifying, designing, bidding, building, and managing the swing space necessary for the project. This included reviewing existing conditions, coordinating the creation of new keys to address decades of undocumented changes, and overseeing the relocation of faculty and staff to three different on- and off-campus locations.

About the Project

The new 186,000 sf facility replaces five outdated engineering buildings on URI’s Kingston campus, originally constructed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. During the design phase, we took on the additional responsibility of cataloging all equipment and furniture from the five existing engineering buildings. This comprehensive inventory has been instrumental for architects in designing the swing space and the new engineering building, as well as for movers in relocating and eventually returning the equipment and furniture.

Our involvement continued through the design and construction phases, ensuring the multiple Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) packages were accurate and complete. They maintained budget tracking systems and developed unique dashboards to report costs, value management changes, alternates, and scope changes. The proactive approach helped URI stay informed about costs, projections, and potential challenges.

Throughout construction, we managed permitting activities, design and financial milestones, and construction schedules, ensuring steady and predictable progress. Coordination with the Construction Manager was essential for managing major deliveries, utility shutdowns, and other potentially disruptive activities, all while ensuring that URI’s educational programs continued uninterrupted.

The new engineering building represents the largest project ever undertaken at URI. It significantly enhances the university’s engineering programs and contributes to the growth of Rhode Island’s high-tech industry.