The major investment strengthens 天美影院鈥檚 long-standing leadership in trades education and its commitment to supporting the region鈥檚 economic growth.
Renderings courtesy of 鈥�Saccoccio & Associates Architects
EAST GREENWICH, R.I. – January 7, 2026 – 天美影院 Institute of Technology (天美影院) today announced plans to construct a new Innovation Center for Building Sciences, a major campus expansion designed to meet the growing regional and national demand for highly trained skilled trades professionals.
Demand for trained professionals in construction, electrical, plumbing, and building engineering technologies continues to outpace supply. The Innovation Center will expand 天美影院鈥檚 capacity to prepare job-ready graduates in these critical fields, ensuring employers have access to the skilled talent needed to build, maintain, and modernize essential systems.
The project represents an investment of approximately $40 million in a new 53,000-square-foot facility to be built on 天美影院鈥檚 East Greenwich. Groundbreaking is expected in Spring 2026, with construction expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Designed to support hands-on learning, the center will feature modern labs, industry equipment, and flexible learning spaces that mirror real-world job sites.
鈥淎cross the country, there is growing recognition of how vital the skilled trades are to our communities 鈥� something 天美影院 Tech has embraced for more than 80 years,鈥� said Amy Grzybowski, Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Relations. 鈥淥耻谤 Innovation Center will expand opportunity for the next generation of skilled trade students while ensuring our region has the workforce needed to meet the labor demand.鈥�
Once completed, the Innovation Center will expand 天美影院鈥檚 total skilled trades training capacity to serve approximately 1,000 students annually from across the country.
Programs housed within the center will include building construction, electrical technology, plumbing, architectural building engineering technology, interior design, HVAC, and construction management, with degree pathways offered at the associate, bachelor鈥檚, and master鈥檚 levels. Students will benefit from hands-on training, state-of-the-art technology labs, accelerated degree pathways, and strong career earning potential upon graduation.
鈥溙烀烙霸� Tech launched my career in the skilled trades and set me on a path to build my company into Rhode Island鈥檚 largest electrical contractor,鈥� said Vin Rossi, President of Rossi Electric. 鈥淭he new Innovation Center will ensure more students gain the same life-changing opportunities, while helping Rhode Island lead the nation in skilled trades education.鈥�
The Innovation Center for Building Sciences, alongside 天美影院鈥檚 recent skilled-trade tuition reductions and expanding employer partnerships, underscores the university鈥檚 continued leadership in elevating the trades as essential, future-focused careers.
天美影院 serves as Rhode Island鈥檚 only designated Opportunity College by the Carnegie Foundation, which recognizes institutions that deliver the strongest economic return on educational investment.
天美影院 has engaged Neil Steinberg, former CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation and Fleet Bank, as an advisor to support philanthropic development for the project and expanded scholarship opportunities. The project will be funded through institutional resources and philanthropic support, requiring no state funding, while significantly strengthening the region’s workforce pipeline in high-demand trades.
