Florence Gray Center

Hello and Happy New Year to our community!

As we walk into 2026, more changes are going to become visible and updates coming more regularly. The Community Learning Center Team is excited to be sharing not just construction updates, but also announcing new partnerships, new programming opportunities, and hopefully some community events. 

For our first update of the year, we've got pictures of completed plumbing and framing. It may not sound exciting but these pieces being finished and electrical work being almost done means that now walls, doors, and fixtures can start going up. 

In the main lobby of the building, the old wood floors have come up and the sub-floor is being prepared for all new flooring that will match the rest of the building.

Wall framing and electrical are going up and almost complete in the Gallagher Wing. These spaces will include offices for staff, meeting rooms, and a space for the public to reserve and conduct telehealth appointments, meet 1:1 with healthcare navigators, or to meet with a visiting nurse. 

This is the rough work for a hallway being built between the community room and the Gallagher Wing space on the first floor of the building. Opening up this space is important to the flow of the building and making the two parts of the building feel more like one cohesive space. 

Stay tuned for more updates!

More and more walls are coming down during demolition as we get ready for some framing to start next week. 

A wall between the former Saturday Club/Food Pantry space and the HEZ space has come down. The HEZ/Women's Resource Center will gain new offices and a meeting space on this side which will open up the remainder for community programs.

At the main entrance, the hallway wall that would be on your left, has come down opening up what will be the Welcome Center. The Welcome Center will have a reception area, computer stations, and a variety of seating.

Another angle of the former EBCAP classroom that shows the walls that have come down on either side of the space. 

A view of the completely demo'd second floor in the Gallagher Wing. Framing for new program offices, meeting spaces, and a community health room will start next week.

Check back weekly for more updates and insights!

Demolition is steaming along and the main floor of the Florence Gray Community Learning Center already looks transformed: 

Main floor: The empty space to the left is where the computer lab, EBCAP office, and Newport Housing offices used to be. Part of this space will be used for the new central stairwell and a larger TAM classroom.

This space was the EBCAP classroom and now it will be one half of the new Welcome Center. 

This space was the TAM classroom and when the center wall comes down, it will be the other half of the new Welcome Center.

The Welcome Center will house seating, technology access, and can be divided to create multiple spaces for community events.

Make sure to check back every week for more progress insights!

State and local media were on hand to cover the ceremonial wall breaking at FGC this week and here is some of the coverage: 

Press Release from the Governor's Office:

https://governor.ri.gov/press-releases/governor-mckee-newport-and-middletown-kick-community-learning-center-construction

WPRI 12 Coverage: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjPIF-Rx7Cs

Newport Buzz:

https://www.thenewportbuzz.com/newport-middletown-community-learning-center/58157

What's Up Newp:

https://whatsupnewp.com/2025/11/governor-mckee-kicks-off-7-5m-renovation-of-newport-middletown-community-learning-center/

Today we hosted Governor McKee, Mayor Holder, and Councilor Turano along with other state and local officials for a ceremonial wall breaking ceremony at the Florence Gray Community Learning Center. 

Governor McKee, Mayor Holder, and Councilor Turano were joined by Rhonda Mitchell, Ex. Director of Newport Housing Authority, and Kelley Coen, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County in expressing their thanks to the community and partner agencies in getting the project to this point. 

Partnership was the common thread amongst the speakers and we were happy to be joined by so many other community partners to mark this occasion. 

Demolition in the Gallagher Wing of the building is well underway and the team is working diligently to get both levels ready for construction to start in the next couple of weeks. Check out the pictures below to see the progress

Members of the Ahlborg construction team are on site and getting everything ready for demolition. First up for demolition is the underutilized Gallagher Wing. For a period of time, this part of the building housed the MET School but has been mostly empty or used for storage since they opened their own building around the corner. The empty rooms you see below will be converted into program space, dedicated space for health services, offices, and conference spaces that can be reserved by the public.

As we get nearer to renovations beginning in the Florence Gray Center, the majority of our tenant programs will need to move out temporarily.

Tenants who have already moved:

FabNewport: Newport Congregational Church, 73 Pelham St Newport

Turning Around Ministries: Child & Family, 31 John Clarke Rd Middletown

East Bay Community Action Program (Adult Education): virtual

Newport Heights, Phase IV: 10 Langford Blvd, North Kingstown

Tenants who will move by the end of October:

Women's Resource Center/Health Equity Zone: Donovan Manor, 19 Chapel St Newport

Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County: 3rd-8th grade groups will use the MET School as a program space. Drop-off, meals, and pick-up will still happen at FGC.

Please reach out to organizations directly for more information.