Three Rhode Island construction developments move forward

Rhode Island, October 7, 2025

News Summary

Three major Rhode Island construction stories advanced: Roger Williams University and Shawmut Design added four new Shawmut Scholars, offering full-tuition scholarships, paid internships and hands-on construction experience; crews demolishing McCoy Stadium uncovered two historic time capsules while preparing the site for a $326 million Pawtucket High School project; and a high-profile Newport property purchase reunites the Seacliff house with nearby estates on Bellevue Avenue. Officials say the discoveries and program expansions will shape local construction workforce development, preserve community history and influence future development along the Newport shoreline.

Construction, education and local history collide: Shawmut partners on scholarships, crews uncover time capsules, Newport property changes hands

Roger Williams University (RWU) and Shawmut Design and Construction are at the center of three recent developments in Rhode Island construction and property news: a new class of scholarship-supported students entering RWU, the discovery of historic time capsules during stadium demolition in Pawtucket, and the sale of a Newport Cliff Walk property. The items below highlight program details, project milestones and property transactions tied to construction activity in the region.

Shawmut Scholars program expands

Roger Williams University (RWU) says four incoming students have been selected for its Shawmut Scholars program. The Shawmut Scholars program offers full-tuition scholarships. The program guarantees paid internships. The internships include paid internships in project management situations and at construction sites. The program includes mentorship from industry professionals.

The program is aimed at students majoring in construction management and also is open to architecture or business majors who commit to a construction management minor. It was designed to ensure students graduate with degrees plus four years of practical, hands-on construction experience and to ensure students graduate with professional networks that typically take years to develop in the field. In addition to classroom instruction, students rotate through active construction sites, shadow project managers, learn safety protocols firsthand, and work on budgets and schedules as part of their practical experience.

The incoming round of Shawmut Scholars include four named students: Kat Almeida, a construction management major from Rhode Island; Emma Jackson, a construction management major from Connecticut; Andie Moreira, an architecture major and construction management minor from New Hampshire; and Ary Ponce, an architecture major and construction management minor from New York.

The program was launched in 2021 and a previous scholar group graduated from RWU this May. Two alumni from the previous scholar group have entered careers with Shawmut’s Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, offices, while another alumnus relocated to pursue other opportunities. RWU president Ioannis N. Miaoulis and Shawmut chief human resources officer Michelle LaFleur both described the collaboration as a multi-year pathway to practical experience, mentorship and industry access.

McCoy Stadium demolition uncovers two time capsules

Shawmut Design and Construction crews were involved in demolition of the former McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The demolition was to prepare the site for a $326-million Pawtucket High School project. Crews demolishing the former minor league baseball stadium in Rhode Island on May 12 unearthed an 85-year-old time capsule that had been enclosed in the original cornerstone.

Days later, crews found a second time capsule believed to have been buried between home plate and the pitcher’s mound during a historic game played on June 23, 1981. Both time capsules will be unveiled on June 23, the 44th anniversary of the conclusion of the longest pro baseball game played at McCoy Stadium. That 1981 game lasted 33 innings and took eight hours and 25 minutes to complete.

Shawmut’s head of preconstruction for the New England region and head of Rhode Island operations described the discovery as an exciting moment and said crews approached the demolition with safety and precision while respecting the site’s historic significance. Crews deployed ground-penetrating radar technology to help locate the second time capsule, and the first unearthed capsule is being held in a secure location by the Pawtucket Police Department. Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said the city is preparing a June 23 ceremony to unveil the contents of the capsules and to honor the stadium’s history.

The Pawtucket High School project is being led by Shawmut and will produce a 375,000 square-foot campus, representing the single largest school project in Rhode Island’s history. Once completed, the new campus will serve approximately 2,100 high school students and is expected to deliver modern academic facilities and community-focused spaces.

Newport Cliff Walk parcel sold to a familiar buyer

Oracle founder and multibillionaire Larry Ellison has apparently purchased the Seacliff home at 562 Bellevue Ave. for $11 million. The Seacliff deed was signed by seller trustee Michael Madden on Jan. 31 and lists the buyer as Carbonview Limited, LLC, incorporated in Delaware, with a buyer address of 101 Ygnacio Valley Drive, Walnut Creek, California. Realtors and city officials say they are confident the buyer is the same individual who owns nearby properties.

The purchase gives Ellison ownership of all four properties between Rosecliff and Marble House. Ellison’s central property in Newport is the Astors’ Beechwood mansion at 580 Bellevue Ave. Ellison purchased Beechwood for $10.5 million in January 2010 and spent more than $100 million to renovate it for a planned Beechwood Art Museum. The Beechwood project involved extensive reconstruction and the general contractor at one point estimated the building renovations alone accounted for more than $100 million in budget.

Seacliff contains 10 rooms, five of them bedrooms, and carries an assessed total value of $6.81 million according to the city assessor’s office. It is not known what the buyer plans to do with the Seacliff property, which includes a brick and masonry guest house on the Cliff Walk.

What this means for construction and community planning

A single construction firm’s work can touch education, history and private property: the Shawmut Scholars program links industry hiring and training with university curricula; demolition and reconstruction of McCoy Stadium land ties construction work to civic memory and site stewardship; and major property purchases in Newport reflect the interplay of renovation budgets, historic commissions and long-term landscape plans. Each development shows how construction work shapes workforce pipelines, public spaces and neighborhood character.

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Key features at a glance

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

Additional Resources

• CDRecycler: Roger Williams University Shawmut scholarships (2025)
• Wikipedia: Roger Williams University
• NEREJ: Shawmut breaks ground on $326M Pawtucket High School
• Google Search: Pawtucket High School Shawmut 326 million
• ENR: Crews unearth 85-year-old time capsule during McCoy Stadium demolition
• Google Scholar: McCoy Stadium time capsule 85-year-old
• NEREJ: Shawmut crew finds 85-year-old time capsule during McCoy Stadium demolition
• Encyclopedia Britannica: McCoy Stadium Pawtucket
• Providence Journal: Larry Ellison buys Newport Seacliff home (2019)
• Google News: Larry Ellison Newport Seacliff Bellevue Ave

Author: Construction NY News

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