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.

Roger Williams University and Shawmut Launch Second Shawmut Scholars Class; Shawmut Crews Unearth Two McCoy Stadium Time Capsules; Larry Ellison Adds Newport Seacliff Home to Holdings

The top development from Rhode Island’s construction and real estate news today includes a campus-industry scholarship program expanding into a second class, historic artifacts uncovered during a major demolition project tied to a new high school, and a notable Newport property sale that completes a string of neighboring estate purchases.

Shawmut Scholars program expands

Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, and Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction are moving forward with the second cohort of a curriculum-to-career initiative designed for construction-related majors. The Shawmut Scholars program is a partnership between Roger Williams University and Boston-based Shawmut Design and Construction, offering full-tuition scholarships, guaranteed paid internships, mentorship from industry professionals, and hands-on construction experience. The program was launched in 2021 to provide skilled construction leaders with substantial hands-on experience.

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

Roger Williams University president Ioannis N. Miaoulis said the university is proud to welcome the new class of Shawmut Scholars and is excited to see the impact they will make on designed and built environments. Shawmut’s chief human resources officer Michelle LaFleur said the company is proud to launch the second cohort and that Shawmut team members will serve as mentors and champions during the four-year journey, helping scholars explore careers in construction, gain real-world experience and build lasting relationships. A previous scholar group graduated 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.

The incoming round of Shawmut Scholars includes four 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.

McCoy Stadium demolition uncovers time capsules tied to new Pawtucket High School project

Crews working on the demolition of the former McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to prepare the site for a $326-million Pawtucket High School project unearthed two time capsules from two different decades. Crews demolishing the former minor league baseball stadium in Rhode Island on May 12 unearthed an 85-year-old time capsule enclosed in the original cornerstone of the former McCoy Stadium. 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 professional baseball game, which lasted 33 innings and eight hours and 25 minutes. The found capsule from the cornerstone is being held in a secure location by the Pawtucket Police Department. The City of Pawtucket shared that demolition uncovered an 85-year-old time capsule in the stadium’s original cornerstone in a May 19 social media post. According to local reporting, the capsule was placed into the cornerstone of the Hammond Pond Stadium on November 3, 1940, by Pawtucket Mayor Thomas McCoy as part of a cornerstone laying ceremony for the project.

Shawmut Design and Construction is leading the construction of the new 375,000 square-foot Pawtucket High School, the largest school project in the state’s history, and the new campus is expected to serve approximately 2,100 high school students. Shawmut crews approached demolition with care, deploying ground-penetrating radar technology to help locate the second time capsule and working with extra precision due to the site’s historic significance. Shawmut’s head of preconstruction for the New England region and head of Rhode Island operations, Chris Maury, described the discovery as an exciting moment for the team. Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said he is excited to unveil the time capsule and hopes another capsule will be found at the June 23 ceremony.

Newport property purchase reunites neighboring estate holdings

A sale in Newport completed a block of contiguous estate holdings between two major historic houses. Larry Ellison has apparently purchased the Seacliff home at 562 Bellevue Ave. for $11 million. The deed for Seacliff was signed by seller trustee Michael Madden on Jan. 31 and lists the buyer as Carbonview Limited, LLC, a Delaware limited-liability company with a buyer address of 101 Ygnacio Valley Drive, Walnut Creek, California. That Walnut Creek address has been associated with Ellison in previous property filings, and realtors and city officials said they are confident the Seacliff buyer is Ellison.

The Seacliff sale gives the buyer 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., which he purchased in January 2010 for $10.5 million and later reconstructed and renovated as a museum site. Ellison spent more than $100 million to renovate Beechwood for a planned Beechwood Art Museum, and employees of a Providence-based contractor involved with that project previously reported a building renovation budget in excess of $100 million to city officials.

The newly acquired Seacliff property has 10 rooms, including five bedrooms, and 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 Seacliff, which includes a brick and masonry guest house on the Cliff Walk. All four properties now purchased extend from Bellevue Avenue east to the Cliff Walk.

Key context and numbers

• Shawmut Scholars: Program launched in 2021; offers full-tuition scholarships and guaranteed paid internships; targeted majors include construction management, architecture (with minor), and business (with minor).
• Pawtucket High School project: $326-million project; 375,000 square-foot new campus; will serve approximately 2,100 students; Shawmut Design and Construction is leading the construction.
• McCoy Stadium time capsules: One capsule dates to 1940 and was placed November 3, 1940; a second capsule dates to 1981 and is tied to the 33-inning game on June 23, 1981; both to be unveiled on June 23, the 44th anniversary of that game.
• Newport property sale: Seacliff at 562 Bellevue Ave. sold for $11 million; buyer listed as Carbonview Limited, LLC (Delaware); buyer address 101 Ygnacio Valley Drive, Walnut Creek, California.

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Key Features Table

Reporting compiled from public statements, municipal filings, property deed information, and statements from involved organizations and officials. No direct quotations are used in this summary.

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 CA News

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