South Street Landing (SSL) is a collaborative redevelopment and public-private partnership focused on creating a new model of higher education and health innovation to anchor an emerging biomedical research and innovation district. The renovation and adaptive reuse of the Narragansett Electric/National Grid Power Station houses the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center (RINEC)—a shared state-of-the-future facility for the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College on the second and third floors; the Rhode Island Medical Simulation Center, the second largest simulation center in the country, on the first floor; and administrative facilities for Brown University on the top two floors.

The State of Rhode Island encouraged URI and RIC to enter a partnership to justify the expense of the RINEC to help bring state-of-the-future nursing education to RI. The design team strove to find the commonalities between the unique academic institutions in order to create a “front door” identity for all stakeholders. The common goal of preparing the next generation of highly trained nursing professionals to enter the workforce was met through the design of highly flexible, collaborative education spaces that support changing pedagogies and respond to trends towards team-based care at medical institutions. Collaborative learning environments include technology-enabled active learning (TEAL) classrooms, flat floor flexible classrooms with mobile cart displays for active learning opportunities, and a 150-seat lecture hall. Multiple open technology-driven lounges serve as pre-function space and create opportunities for informal learning outside of the classroom.

The project served as a catalyst for neighborhood improvements in the previously underdeveloped Jewelry District
in downtown Providence. It is now one of the most vibrant sections of Providence, where world-class biomedical
and healthcare learning and research take place daily. Located on the Providence River waterfront, SSL enlivens the previously uninhabited streets, with more than 1,200 students, employees, and residents fostering economic activity and improving safety and security in the district. As noted by Governor, Raimondo, South Street Landing has transformed Providence’s former Jewelry District into “an economic engine centered around technology, education, and innovation.”