Providence, RI, April 24, 2023: O&G Industries, Inc. recently celebrated the topping off of the new Spaziano Elementary School in Providence, RI. The O&G project team was joined by officials from Providence Public Schools and Rhode Island Dept of Education (RIDE), representatives of Downes Construction Company – who serve as the owners’ representative, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. Also in attendance were members of the Spaziano family, including the wife and children of Frank Spaziano, the school’s namesake.
Students were invited to sign the beam during the days before the event. Those who attended the event were also invited to sign the beam before it was hoisted into place by Berlin Steel, the steel subcontractor on the project.
The new, $44M, four-level school project, designed by Tecton Architects, broke ground in July 2022 and is expected to be completed in the Fall of 2023. It will feature classrooms for Pre-K through fifth grade, specialized education classrooms, art and STEM rooms, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, and outdoor play areas. The facility will total 85,000 square feet and have a student capacity of 684.
Frank Spaziano, Sr., the school’s namesake, dedicated 30 years of his career to Providence Public Schools. He started as a teacher and worked his way up the ranks to principal. At an early age, Frank was told he didn’t have what it took to go to college, and that was enough to drive him to excel and succeed. This experience also shaped Frank into the leader he would become. He believed that everyone deserved a chance, and he was willing to help anyone who was willing to try. In 2008, Frank Spaziano Senior passed away from early-onset dementia. The school district honored his legacy by dedicating the original Laurel Lane School and renaming it after him.
About O&G Industries, Inc.
O&G Industries, Inc. (O&G) is Connecticut’s largest privately held construction company, serving as General Contractor, Construction Manager, Design/Builder, and Specialty Sub-Contractor with a century of experience in the commercial building, power plant, road and bridge, and site construction. The company serves clients in educational, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, transportation, power, and municipal markets throughout the U.S., focusing on environmental sustainability. O&G is Connecticut’s top construction manager for school construction projects, completing more than 300 projects to date. As a fourth-generation, family-owned company, it is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023. O&G is headquartered in Torrington, CT. For more information, visit ogind.com.
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