Gilbane Commences 1,100-Bed Rhode Island Student Housing Project
The first residence hall will open for the fall 2027 semester.
Gilbane and the University of Rhode Island have begun work on a multi-phase student housing project that will bring more than 1,100 beds to the school’s flagship campus in Kingston, R.I. The public-private partnership plans to open the first portion of the project in time for the fall 2027 semester.
Construction includes two new residence halls and the revitalization of the Graduate Village Apartments, a graduate student community on Route 138. In total, the partnership is adding approximately 400,000 square feet of housing. Gilbane entered the partnership with the university in November 2025 and is the developer and design-builder on the project, with CannonDesign serving as the architect.
The two new residence halls are located along Flagg Road. When completed, they will total 914 beds across 239 two- and four-bedroom units. One new building will be north of Flagg Road, spanning 173,739 square feet with 134 apartments. The south hall will cover 135,177 square feet with 105 residences. Shared amenities feature study spaces and common areas, wellness rooms, a grab-and-go café and an outdoor courtyard.
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The rebuilt Graduate Village will span 84,813 square feet across 152 units and about 200 beds. Apartment layouts range from studio- to three-bedroom units. Other features include a garden and a community center that could be used to provide additional lounge space or host fitness classes.
Currently, the Graduate Village is housing students for the ongoing semester, but it will close in May 2026. The new community is slated to reopen for the fall 2028 semester.
Demand for student housing
Since 2012, URI has increased its on-campus bed capacity by 2,000 beds, due to the school seeing a high level of applicants and interest in on-campus living. According to Yardi Matrix, the university had 17,351 students enrolled for the fall 2023 semester. The university reported that it received a record 28,036 first-year applicants for the fall 2025 semester.
This mirrors broader student housing trends, as national occupancy ahead of the 2025–2026 academic year was estimated at 95.1 percent, the latest national student housing report from Yardi Matrix shows.
In a similar public-private partnership, Gilbane is partnering with Western Kentucky University to redevelop the housing system of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky. The project received predevelopment approval from the school board in December and is waiting for final approval. Plans for the project’s first phase include replacing two residence halls and constructing a 980-bed community.
