RI voters approve all three ballot questions

Rhode Islanders voted Tuesday to have the state borrow $400 million in three ballot questions that will help refurbish the University of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay Campus, replenish the state's school construction fund and fund a host of environmental and recreational projects.

With 98% of precincts reporting, "yes" votes on the three referendums were leading by double digit percentage points.

Question 1, the $100 million URI Bay Campus bond, was the closest. It would pay for three new buildings and a security gatehouse at the entrance to the secluded research campus at the end of South Ferry Road.

At 10:00 p.m., the vote was 57.4% for approval and 57.4% against.

URI plans to use the money to replace the 1968 Horn Laboratory with a new 100,000-square-foot "Ocean Frontiers Building" with modern climate-controlled labs.

And it would also build a new Ocean Engineering complex including a new wave tank.

Question 2 is a $250 million school construction bond. Voters had voted yes 73% to no 27% by 9:15 p.m.

Voters passed another $250 million school bond in 2018.

Question 3, is the $50 million "green bond," and had 67% yes votes by 9:15 p.m.

The biggest single project planned with money from the bond is a new "carbon-neutral" Roger Williams Park Zoo education center, which is set to receive $12 million.

A large chunk of the money, $16 million, will go toward local projects to protect cities and towns from the effects of climate change. There is $3 million for Narragansett Bay watershed restoration.

There is also $3 million in the bond for forest restoration; $5 million for small-business energy loans; $4 million for cleaning up brownfields; $5 million to purchase open space and $2 million for local recreational facilities.