Brown University has purchased a building at 110 Elm Street in Providence's Jewelry District and plans to convert the still-operating Bagel Gourmet shop on Meeting Street into a walk-in public safety center, part of a broader push to overhaul campus security following December's deadly shooting. The university says the two College Hill-area hubs, along with the Jewelry District administrative site, are meant to bring officers closer to the community they serve and modernize facilities that have fallen behind.
Two Sites, Two Purposes
According to Brown University, the plan calls for two community-centered hubs on College Hill and a location for administrative operations in the Jewelry District, all designed to support a community-oriented public safety model, improve accessibility and upgrade essential facilities. The 110 Elm Street property will serve as the primary hub for the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management's administrative operations, with space for training, evidence processing, private interview rooms and emergency-vehicle parking, according to WJAR. That location is expected to be ready for public safety use by summer 2027.
On Meeting Street, Brown will operate a public safety hub inside the Bagel Gourmet space once the shop ceases operations, the station reports. The eatery's owner reportedly told the university it could repurpose the space for public safety needs once the shop ceased operations, according to Brown. The Meeting Street location is meant to house officers closer to campus and will offer walk-in report filing, fingerprinting, witness interviews, lost-and-found services and a safe-transaction space, with the site expected to be ready by spring 2027. The station notes DPSEM's operational space at the Elm Street location will expand by 40 percent.
A Response Rooted in December's Tragedy
The announcement comes roughly ten months after the Dec. 13 mass shooting that killed two students and injured nine others, as reported by Rhode Island Current. In the aftermath, the university rolled out a series of security measures, including increased police patrols and presence, expanded camera installations and additional panic alarms. The outlet also reported that Brown planned to stand up a rapid response team before students returned for the spring semester.
Brown's leadership overhaul has run alongside those physical security changes. Hugh T. Clements formally became the university's vice president for public safety and emergency management and chief of police in April, after three months in the interim role, per the same account. Clements previously spent 38 years with the Providence Police Department, including 12 years as chief, and Brown's president has said he would report directly to her while taking daily oversight of campus policing.
What Brown Says the New Hubs Will Deliver
Clements said DPSEM officers should be present across campus to build relationships, engage with community members and respond when needed, and he said the relocation plan strengthens the department's ability to serve and protect the community, according to WJAR. Brown's safety and security action plan is organized into six categories covering areas such as staffing and training, emergency preparedness, technology, law-enforcement partnerships and community outreach, the Brown Corporation says, with DPSEM continuing to play what the university calls an essential leading role in securing the campus.
The Jewelry District purchase fits a pattern of expansion for Brown in that part of Providence. The university spent $16 million acquiring four buildings and open parcels from the financially distressed Care New England in the district, according to GoLocalProv, part of roughly $98 million in Providence real estate purchases over an 18-month span. Brown also bought the Packet Building at 155 South Main Street in 2021 for use by its School of Public Health, the outlet reported.
Separately, the U.S. Department of Education has announced a review of Brown's security practices for potential violations of the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The scope and findings of that review have not been detailed.
