Quonset Point
Encyclopedia
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
in Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. It is contained entirely within the town of North Kingstown
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
North Kingstown is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 26,486 at the 2010 census. The famous American portraitist Gilbert Stuart was born in the village of Saunderstown, located in the southern region of North Kingstown....
. "Quonset" is a Native American word likely meaning "small long place".
Quonset Point was the location of Naval Air Station Quonset Point
Naval Air Station Quonset Point
Naval Air Station Quonset Point was a United States Naval Base in Quonset Point, Rhode Island that was deactivated in 1974. Next to NAS Quonset Point was Camp Endicott at Davisville, home of the Naval Construction Battalions known as the Seabees. Quonset Point also gave its name to the Quonset hut,...
, a large United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
base. The peninsula is now used for industrial purposes and is partially abandoned. A major industrial tenant is a hull-fabrication and outfitting facility for Electric Boat Corporation
Electric Boat Corporation
The General Dynamics Electric Boat is a division of General Dynamics Corporation. It has been the primary builder of submarines for the United States Navy for over 100 years....
.
Rhode Island Route 403
Rhode Island Route 403
Route 403, also known as the Quonset Freeway, is a numbered state highway located in Washington County and Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The route is a nominally east–west limited-access freeway for its entire length...
is a freeway branching from Route 4 that serves the area; Quonset is also served by a railroad spur from Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
. The Providence and Worcester Railroad
Providence and Worcester Railroad
The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a Class II railroad in the United States. The railroad connects from Gardner in central Massachusetts, south through its namesake cities of Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island, and west from Rhode Island through Connecticut and into New York City...
which provides freight service along this stretch of the Corridor
delivers freight to the Seaview Railroad { http://www.inrailgroup.com/seaview/index.html } which provides local freight service within the industrial park. The section of the Northeast Corridor between Quonset Point/Davisville and the junction with the P&W's main line at Boston Switch in Central Falls, R.I. has recently been upgraded to handle 19 feet (5.8 m) high auto carriers
Autorack
An autorack, also known as an auto carrier, is a specialized piece of railroad rolling stock used to transport automobiles and light trucks, generally from factories to automotive distributors...
. http://www.riedc.com/files/October2007_Davisville_PJB.pdf
Quonset Business Park
The business park, encompassing 3000 acres (12.1 km²), was the location of the former Quonset Naval Air Station and Rework Facility and the former Naval Construction Battalion Center Davisville. The Business Park is situated on the shores of Narragansett Bay, conveniently located between New York City and Boston in the heart of the New England Business Corridor. Its transport system includes rail, air, direct highway access and a port. The Quonset Business Park infrastructure includes all roads and utilities (electricity, natural gas, fresh water, and on-site wastewater treatment). The communications network provides high-speed fiber optic for voice, data, and video. In 2010, the Narragansett Water Pollution Control Association gave the QDC its Robert J. Markelewicz Award for outstanding contributions to wastewater treatment system maintenance.
The Quonset Business Park is home to more than 164 businesses, employing more than 8,800 individuals. The mix of businesses includes office, warehouse and distribution, marine construction, light and general manufacturing, as well as importing.Major businesses at the Quonset Business Park include Electric Boat, North Atlantic Distribution (NORAD), Toray Plastics, Hexagon Metrology, SENESCO and Ocean State Job Lot.
The business park has extensive recreational and public space as well, with a 138 acres (55.8 ha) golf course, four public beaches and 2.5 miles (4 km) mixed-use bike path. Other amenities include a marina, high-speed ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard and a child daycare facility.
The Quonset Development Corporation (QDC), a special purpose subsidiary of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), a quasi-public company, is responsible for the development and management of the park.
Since 2004 there has been $170 million in private investment with another $126 million in the pipeline. 2,700 new jobs have been created since 2004, from welders, to medical technicians, engineers, researchers and longshoremen. In 2010, the QDC launched QuonsetJobs.com, a web page for employers to post jobs and job seekers to read through listings.
The Shops at Quonset
As of May 2010, construction continues on the $144 million mixed-use retail development known as The Gateway, supported by the New Boston Fund. The 72.5 acres (293,397.4 m²) Gateway serves as the “front door” to the Quonset Business Park. Privately funded, it’s expected to create space for 2,000 jobs, mostly in targeted high wage sectors. The Gateway already houses a Lowe’s home improvement store, a Kohl’s department store, a Supercuts and a branch of the locally owned grocery store Dave’s Marketplace. Eventually, the space will include office and R&D space, community space, a sports complex, a hotel and more retail and restaurants. In May 2010, construction began on the TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel, which will have four stories and 103 rooms. It’s expected to be the state’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hotel.Commerce Park Connector Road
Roadway and bridge work to connect the Gateway and Commerce Park districts of the Business Park is funded in part by a $3.88 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant. This project will improve access to the Commerce Park District of the Park and 156 acre (0.63131016 km²) of land which can support an additional 998 jobs. The federal stimulus money for this priority project is expected to create additional jobs and private investment in the area while also improving rail track safety and traffic efficiency.The grant is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
Port of Davisville
The Quonset Business Park has designation as a free trade zone for the Port of Davisville. The Port is one of the top auto importers in the country, mainly vehicles from VolkswagenVolkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
. The Port is positioned to grow further with the recent upgrade of the rail system that allows autos to be carried on triple-decked rail cars anywhere east of the Mississippi River and into Canada. The Port of Davisville benefits greatly from its exemption from the Harbor Maintenance Tax, a vestige from when the area was a major naval port. This tax exemption allows products offloaded to avoid the expensive federal tax.
In 2009, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
decided that the Port would be home to the Okeanos Explorer, a one-of-a-kind research vessel devoted entirely to exploring unknown parts of the world's oceans. It’s a former Navy surveillance ship acquired by the NOAA and converted into a deep sea research vessel.
Transportation
The Quonset Business Park offers an extensive mix of transportation opportunities:•The Port of Davisville offers 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) of berthing space, consisting of two Piers (each 1200 feet (365.8 m) in length), a bulkhead, 29 ft (8.8 m) channel draft, on-dock rail and a 14 acres (56,656 m²) lay down area;
•The Quonset Airport, managed by the Rhode Island Airport corporation and operated by AvPorts is a general aviation facility with a 7500 ft (2,286 m) runway, a staffed control tower and an Instrument Landing System;
•Rail service within the Park is provided by Seaview Transportation Co., Inc. and consists of approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) of track in two branches;
•The Quonset Business Park benefits from convenient access to Interstate 95 (4 miles) via a 4-lane limited-access highway.
•Ferry service to and from Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard is provided by Rhode Island Fast Ferry, Inc. which operates a high-speed ferry out of the Business Park.
•The Rhode Island Public Transportation authority currently has bus stops at Electric Boat, The Gateway (Kohl's)and on Post Road on the border of the Quonset Business Park.
Ferry dock
The ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
dock at Quonset Point is the main terminal for the Martha's Vineyard Fast Ferry Millennium to Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. A shuttle bus leaves every hour before the ferry departs; and after the ferry arrives, a bus travels to the Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
Airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
(T. F. Green State Airport
T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
) and the Kingston Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Train Station.
Events on Quonset Point
The Rhode Island Air Show is held annually by the Rhode Island National Guard.During the 1950s, Quonset Point was home port for the aircraft carriers, the USS Antietam, USS Tarawa, and the USS Leyte
USS Leyte (CV-32)
USS Leyte was one of 24 s built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the third US Navy ship to bear the name. Leyte was commissioned in April 1946, too late to serve in World War II...
.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, four aircraft carriers used Quonset Point as their home port. The carriers were the USS Lake Champlain
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)
USS Lake Champlain was one of 24 s completed during or shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. She was the second US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812....
, the USS Essex, the USS Wasp, and the USS Intrepid.
BASE: Advancing a Post-Military Landscape An extensive photographic survey of the Quonset Point & Davisville Naval Bases completed in 2000 by Erik Carlson & Erica Carpenter.