Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore on Friday praised the Rhode Island House of Representatives for including a $45 million bond question for a proposed Rhode Island State History Center in the fiscal year 2027 state budget.
The bond would fund construction of a permanent facility to display and preserve the state’s historic documents and artifacts. The state archives and history center pitched by Amore remains in the revised fiscal 2027 budget the House Finance Committee advanced, part of a roughly $600 million package of bond questions slated for the November ballot. Rhode Island Current
“For years, myself, my predecessor, and advocates across disciplines and around the state have advocated for the construction of a permanent home for Rhode Island’s treasures,” Amore said in a statement. He said the proposal had been refined over time to balance visitor experience, archival needs and cost.
The Secretary of State’s office has pitched the center as a cultural and educational destination within the State House complex in Providence, with a proposed site at the corner of Smith and Park streets, in front of the Department of Administration. The current State Archives, housed in leased space on Broad Street, has no permanent exhibit area for documents such as the state’s copies of the Bill of Rights and a 1823 stone printing of the Declaration of Independence.
Amore tied the timing to the nation’s 250th anniversary, noting the decision came weeks ahead of the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He called the project “an investment in both our history and our future” and thanked General Assembly members and community advocates who pushed for it.
The bond’s path is not complete. The figure must remain in the budget through final passage, and Rhode Island voters would then decide the question on the November ballot. Amore said he looks forward to asking Rhode Islanders for their support in the months ahead.
