In the fall, Bank Rhode Island held the grand opening of its at 499 Smithfield Ave. branch which was designed by Vision 3 Architects. The 3,230 s/f facility is the bank's 16th branch and expands its reach into another area of the state. E.W. Burman, Inc., of Warwick was the builder. The 3,230 s/f, free-standing branch provides business-oriented services that include an on-site business center that is accessible outside of regular banking hours for meetings and seminars. The branch provides retail banking, small business services and investment services to communities in the Blackstone Valley.