Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

The center includes a 300-person auditorium, a biosafety level-3 lab to study diseases, an aquaria lab to keep saltwater fish for testing and research, and multiple classrooms and teaching labs.

The five-story building includes many water and energy conservation features, such as aluminum reflectors in windows to maximize sunshine in the building; a rain garden that captures rain runoff and feeds it back to an aquifer; and waterless urinals in men's bathrooms.

The building's top story is not yet complete, but it opened for the start of classes last week.

Voters approved $50 million in bonds for the project in 2004, but the center's construction costs quickly grew to roughly $60 million. URI officials said they would raise the difference through private fundraising, but remain $5 million short, which is why the top floor is unfinished.

It is unclear how the university will come up with the money, but URI Foundation President Glen Kerkian said they continue to look for private donations, and Governor Carcieri has asked lawmakers to release $5.1 million in taxpayer RICAP funds to pay for it. The General Assembly will consider the request as part of a supplemental budget proposal.

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