Brown University plans new, unified home for world-class economics department

Professor of Economics Kareen Rozen, who chairs the department, said the physical infrastructure cannot fully support the varied academic and community needs of economics at Brown.

"This is not a sudden necessity; the need for a modern, cohesive home has been under discussion for decades," Rozen said. "The shortage of space creates significant challenges, and the fragmentation hampers the ease of research and sense of belonging for a community of scholars who are united by mission but separated across buildings."

The new building will bring the economics community together under one roof and provide sufficient space and amenities for the department and its scholarship to thrive and have a positive impact.

As envisioned, the facility would feature a ground floor with views to the street and a student commons, with upper levels providing a mix of research labs, faculty and staff offices, expanded classrooms for undergraduate instruction - including a large lecture hall, which Robinson Hall and the other buildings used by economics do not have - and space to accommodate graduate students and visiting lecturers.

A key element shaping the project's early vision is the opportunity to create a concentrated cluster on campus for the social sciences. Situating the Department of Economics within close proximity to the Watson School and Department of Political Science is a significant benefit that has the potential to catalyze the ways the units collaborate, said University Architect Craig Barton.

"This is a goal that we all share, and this project offers a rare opportunity to realize it," Barton said.

The project will also allow for reuse of Robinson Hall for other University academic priorities.

Site selection and next steps for planning, engagement

The anticipated site for the new facility is a Brown-owned interior block on Brook Street within Providence's I-2 Educational Institutional zone - a designation established in 1986 to support the planned growth of higher education institutions while maintaining compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. Barton said the site has the capacity to accommodate a project of this scale in an area closely aligned with Brown's academic footprint.

"The University has maintained the site for a number of years as we've considered the right academic fit," Barton said. "This wouldn't be the right place for a theater or a bench science program, but economics - in which individual and small teams of researchers gather in groups supported by a more traditional classroom setting - is an ideal fit."

The potential site currently contains a surface parking lot and four University-owned residential buildings. While early feasibility studies explored the potential for adaptive reuse of these structures, their internal dimensions and overall size make them poor candidates for a modern academic program, Barton said.

"But part of the work the design team will undertake is to thoroughly explore all options for this site," he said.

Following architect selection, the University will begin a rigorous period of internal and external reviews and a robust community engagement process. Initial community meetings held in March and April served as a first step in a long-term dialogue to share the project's vision, explore its potential impacts, and consider input from members of the campus and local communities who are closest to the potential site, said Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey.

Similar community engagement processes in the past have helped shape other Brown building projects in significant ways, reflecting Brown's commitment to be attentive to contributions from neighbors. The in-depth community engagement process that will follow in the months ahead will provide significant opportunity for local community members to provide input as plans are further developed and finalized.

"Design is deliberative, thoughtful, inclusive and iterative, and what is conceived at the feasibility stage more often than not changes substantively during and through design led by world-class architects," Carey said.

Before construction can proceed, the University must secure an amendment to its Institutional Master Plan (IMP), which it expects to submit to Providence's City Plan Commission later in 2026. Because the project, as envisioned, is consistent with both the intent and requirements of the I-2 zoning classification, no zoning variances or waiver requests are anticipated. The formal submission of the IMP amendment will be prefaced with additional public engagement sessions, providing local residents with opportunities to provide input.

Carey added that as Brown plans for potential projects, the University is sensitive to the need to do so in ways that maintain the character of local neighborhoods and respond to questions and concerns from residents.

"We have worked diligently in recent decades to carry out the design and construction of new and renovated academic buildings in a manner that embraces and positively impacts both the campus and the neighborhoods in which we are located," Carey said. "We're confident that we will do so again with this project."