2013 -- S 1027

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LC02893

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N

RELATING TO ACQUISITION OF LAND - GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEASE APPROVAL -

JOINT RESOLUTIONS

     Introduced By: Senators DaPonte, Gallo, Goodwin, Ruggerio, and Miller

     Date Introduced: June 26, 2013

     Referred To: Senate Finance

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     SECTION 1. This Joint resolution is submitted pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws

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subsection 37-6-2(d).

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     SECTION 2. General Assembly Lease Approval – The Rhode Island Board of Education,

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the Department of Administration, and Commonwealth Ventures, LLC.

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     WHEREAS,  Rhode Island College (the College), the University of Rhode Island (the

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University), and the Community College of Rhode Island provide high-quality, public nursing

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education and research programs, which produce approximately 80% of the state's nursing

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program graduates each year; and

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     WHEREAS, The facilities housing the nursing programs at the College and the

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University are aging, lack current technologies and smart classrooms, and are at their physical

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enrollment capacities; and

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     WHEREAS, Projected local and national shortages of nursing candidates for licensure

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and nursing faculty are expected to adversely impact the delivery of health care in the coming

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years; and

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     WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the State of Rhode Island to enable the University

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and the College to educate students at all levels in the sciences and caring for complex health care

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challenges in a low-risk environment, to provide critical continuing education in order to support

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workforce development, and to produce more nursing graduates at the baccalaureate, masters, and

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doctoral levels; and

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     WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the State of Rhode Island to pursue cost-effective

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financing for its public nursing higher education facilities as outlined in the May 23, 2011,

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feasibility study authorized by the General Assembly in the fiscal year 2012 budget which

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proposed the development of a single, shared, inter-institutional nursing sciences and education

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facility to be located in Providence's Jewelry District; and

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     WHEREAS, Location of a shared facility in Providence's Jewelry District will allow the

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College and the University to maximize symmetries and current collaborations with Brown

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University's Alpert Medical School (AMS), and the state's major hospitals and other health care

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providers; and

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     WHEREAS, A shared nursing education facility would be an investment by the citizens

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of Rhode Island that will provide Rhode Island students, and particularly students from the urban

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area in which the new nursing school will be located, with programs to encourage the pursuit of

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careers in nursing, increased opportunities to attend the College and the University to pursue

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nursing education, and financial and other assistance to facilitate nursing program completion;

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and

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     WHEREAS, Brown University and the AMS have proposed to enhance the connection of

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College Hill to the  Jewelry District and create a campus environment on and around the Alpert

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Medical School; and

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     WHEREAS, Brown University and the AMS are eager to promote academic

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collaborations with the University, the College, and other institutions of higher education; and

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     WHEREAS, Brown University has proposed a collaboration with Commonwealth

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Ventures, LLC (the Developer) to renovate and develop the South Street Power Station at Davol

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Square into a shared facility sufficient to house Brown's administrative programming, and the

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nursing programs for the University and the College; and

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     WHEREAS, In order to address the projected shortage of new nurses, to attract more

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nursing faculty, to provide state-of-the-art technology for teaching and research capabilities, and

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to ensure cost-effective development of higher education facilities, the Board of Education and

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the Department of Administration intend to work together to enter into a partnership with Brown

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University and Commonwealth Ventures, LLC, to locate a Nursing Education Center (“NEC”) to

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be shared by the College and the University in the South Street Power Station; and

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     WHEREAS, A major vehicle making the development of the abandoned and vacant

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South Street Power Station possible is the State's historic preservation tax credit program

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intended to support a previously planned use of the building and now potentially helping to

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enable the building to serve, in part, a beneficial State purpose; and

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     WHEREAS, The Developer has proposed that with the South Street Power Station leased

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in its entirety by Brown and the NEC, the developer will privately develop at least one hundred

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sixty five thousand (165,000) square feet of residential apartments suitable for rent by graduate,

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medical, and upper-class advanced undergraduate student housing on the adjacent parcel; at least

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ten thousand (10,000) square feet of retail space; a six hundred (600) car garage (to be financed

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and developed by the City of Providence) on property leased by Brown University; and will

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develop at least fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet of incubator lab space in an adjacent

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facility; and

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     WHEREAS, The Developer anticipates the development of the NEC project in its

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entirety will launch a $206 million economic development project that will generate local

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construction and other permanent jobs, and enhance a major gateway to Providence; and

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     WHEREAS, After analysis, the annual lease costs for the NEC in the South Street Power

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Station project represent the lowest cost alternative for this type of project, without the additional

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long term burden of ownership; and

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     WHEREAS, The Board of Education, the University, the College, and the Department of

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Administration intend to negotiate the terms and conditions for the development and lease for the

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NEC in the South Street Power Station with the Developer to protect the short and long-term

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interests of the State, the College, and the University; and

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     WHEREAS, A shared governance committee for operational purposes will be established

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as outlined in the feasibility study, and will be comprised of appropriate and equal numbers of

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individuals from the University and the College and chaired by a senior staff member of the

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Board of Education, with a process whereby the appeal of decisions made by the governance

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committee may be made by the University or College directly to the Board; and

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     WHEREAS, Decisions regarding the NEC that involve and impact both the University

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and College nursing programs shall not be made by either the University or College alone; now,

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therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this General Assembly hereby encourages and supports the efforts of

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the Rhode Island Board of Education and the Department of Administration to negotiate a long-

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term lease for the NEC to be located at the South Street Power Station; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That in the event that the State Properties Committee and/or the Board of

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Education approves such a lease it shall immediately forward the lease to the Chairs of the House

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and Senate Finance Committees of the General Assembly; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this Joint Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage by

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the General Assembly; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Governor, the Chair of the Board

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Education, the Director of the Department of Administration, the State Budget Officer, and the

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Chairman of the State Properties Committee. 

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LC02893

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