Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Headquarters facts for kids

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island Headquarters
General information
Location	Providence, RI 02903, United States
Construction started	2008
Completed	2009
Height
Roof	237 ft (72 m)
Technical details
Floor count	13
Floor area	325,000 sq ft (30,200 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Symmes Maini & McKee Associates

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Headquarters is a tall building in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It's known for being a "LEED Certified" building, which means it was built in a way that is good for the environment.

Where is This Building?

This building is located right next to the Waterplace Towers in Providence. You can find it where American Express Plaza and Exchange Street meet. Standing at 237 ft (72 m) tall, it's one of the tallest buildings in both the city and the state of Rhode Island. In fact, it's currently the seventh-tallest building around!

Why Was This Building Built?

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is a company that helps people with their health insurance. Before this building was made, their 1,100 employees were working in many different offices all over the city.

In 2007, the company decided it would be better to bring everyone together into one big building. This new building has 325,000 sq ft (30,200 m²) of space and is 12 stories high. It was built on top of a parking garage that was already being constructed for nearby apartments. The whole project was a big investment, and it was finished by early 2010.

What People Thought About It

When the plan for the new building was announced, different leaders had different ideas about it.

• Mayor David Cicilline was very happy. He thought keeping 1,100 jobs in the city would be great for the local economy. He believed it would make Providence more lively and busy.
• Governor Donald Carcieri had some concerns. He worried that building such an expensive headquarters might make health insurance more costly for the people of Rhode Island. He felt that the company's main goal should be to provide affordable health coverage for everyone.

Gallery

• 

  A 3D picture of what the building would look like

• 

  The building being constructed in August 2008

• 

  The finished building