Brown University announced on Apr. 15 initial steps toward creating a dedicated building for its Department of Economics, which is currently spread across five separate buildings. The university has started the process to select an architect and has begun engaging with community leaders and neighbors near the anticipated site.
The project aims to bring together faculty, staff, and students in one location close to other social sciences departments, such as the Watson School of International and Public Affairs and the Department of Political Science. This move is intended to support collaborative research, teaching, and learning in economics.
University President Christina H. Paxson said, “By creating a state-of-the-art home for economics, we are making a vital investment in the high-impact research and innovative teaching that define the Brown experience.” She added that uniting economists under one roof would support education and scholarship that can shape policies for generations.
Campus planners hope to select an architect by summer. The chosen architect will lead a multi-year process involving planning, design, fundraising through donors only, approvals from internal bodies as well as city authorities, site evaluation along Brook Street between Benevolent and Charlesfield streets near other social science units at Brown. A public engagement process will offer local residents opportunities to provide input throughout development.
Professor Kareen Rozen, chair of the department, said space shortages have long hampered academic activities: “This is not a sudden necessity; the need for a modern cohesive home has been under discussion for decades.” University Architect Craig Barton also commented on the benefits of co-locating economics with related disciplines: “This is a goal that we all share, and this project offers a rare opportunity to realize it.” Executive Vice President Russell Carey highlighted Brown’s commitment to community input during design stages: “Design is deliberative, thoughtful inclusive and iterative… what is conceived at feasibility stage more often than not changes substantively during design led by world-class architects.”
Construction could begin in 2027 after necessary reviews are completed with completion expected within two or three years following start. Before construction begins Brown must secure an amendment to its Institutional Master Plan from Providence’s City Plan Commission but does not anticipate needing zoning variances.
