NEWPORT, R.I. — Governor Dan McKee joined local officials and community partners Tuesday at the Florence Gray Center to kick off a $7.5 million renovation that will transform the facility into a state-of-the-art Newport and Middletown Community Learning Center.
The 15,700-square-foot renovation will feature a larger welcome area, new meeting rooms, a computer lab, and private conference spaces. Once complete, the center will host Learn365RI programs for local youth, along with adult education, job development, workforce training, and health monitoring services for residents across Aquidneck Island.
Part of McKee’s Learn365RI initiative, the project is one of 21 community learning centers statewide funded by $82 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus Capital Projects Funds.
“The Community Learning Center for Newport and Middletown is strategically positioned to help the Aquidneck Island community grow their skills, improve their health, and raise incomes across the board,” McKee said. “It will expand on our already successful Learn365RI initiative and improve academic performance for our young people.”
The effort builds on partnerships with tenant agencies including the Boys & Girls Club of Newport County, East Bay Community Action Program, Turning Around Ministries, FabNewport, Newport Health Equity Zone, and the Women’s Resource Center. New collaborations with Newport Mental Health, CCRI, and Salve Regina University are also underway.
Programs will include trade school fairs, blue economy education sessions, and visiting nurse services, said program director Erin Hallene.
Newport Mayor Charlie Holder called the project “a tremendous opportunity” for families, while Middletown Town Administrator Shawn Brown said it will “make a real difference in the lives of so many.”
Construction is expected to position the Florence Gray Center as a modern hub for learning, health, and opportunity for years to come.
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