Quonset Point

Quonset Point in the 1960s

Quonset Point, also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is contained entirely within the town of North Kingstown. 41°35′42″N 71°24′54″W / 41.595°N 71.415°W / 41.595; -71.415 "Quonset" is a Native American word likely meaning "small long place"^[1]

Quonset Point was the location of Naval Air Station Quonset Point, a large United States Navy 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.

Rhode Island Route 403 is a freeway branching from Route 4 that serves the area; Quonset is also served by a railroad spur from Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. The Providence and Worcester Railroad 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-foot (5.8 m) high auto carriers. [2]

Quonset Business Park

Davisville Road, a major thoroughfare in the business park, with the industrial rail line and ramps of Route 403 also visible

Quonset Point is home to the Quonset Business Park.

The Park was the location of the former Quonset Naval Air Station and Rework Facility and the former Naval Construction Battalion Center Davisville and encompasses 3000+ acres. 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.

The Quonset Business Park is home to 158 companies employing approximately 8,200 individuals. The mix includes office and R&D, light and general manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, marine construction, and importing. Major businesses at the Quonset Business Park, include, Electric Boat, North Atlantic Distribution, Toray Plastics, SENESCO and Ocean State Job Lot.

The Park has extensive recreational and public space as well, with a 138-acre (56 ha) golf course and beaches. Other amenities include a marina, high-speed ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard,and a child day care facility.

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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.

As of January 2008 the Quonset Business Park is 75% developed. In the last five years, $300 million in private investment has been made at the park. The price of land in the park is currently^[when?] $150,000 an acre ($370,000/ha), a 100% increase over the price in 2002.

Construction is currently underway on the $144 million dollar mixed-use Gateway at the Quonset Business Park. Privately funded and expected to create space for 2,000 additional jobs, mostly in targeted high wage sectors, the 900,000-square-foot (84,000 m²) Gateway will include office and R&D space, community space, a sports complex, a hotel, retail and restaurants.

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 and is positioned to grow further with the recent upgrade of the rail system that allows autos to be carried on triple decker rail cars anywhere East of the Mississippi and into Canada.

^[2]

Ferry dock

The ferry 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 Airport (T. F. Green State Airport) and the Kingston Amtrak 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.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, four aircraft carriers used Quonset Point as their home port. The carriers were the USS Lake Champlain, 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.

References

1. ^ Native American placenames of the United States, by William Bright, Edition: revised Published by University of Oklahoma Press, 2007, pg. 406 ISBN 0806135980, 9780806135984, [1]
2. ^ Information provided by Quonset Development Corporation