Projo Biz Blog

By Alex Kuffner
Journal Staff Writer

In a continuing push to develop the Quonset Business Park, the state has applied for $45 million in federal stimulus money to improve roads, railways, piers and terminals.

The Quonset Development Corporation is planning a range of improvements to the state-owned park in North Kingstown in part to prepare for the proposed construction of a facility where offshore wind turbines would be assembled. Deepwater Wind, a New Jersey company, has an agreement to use 117 acres in the park to stage two wind farms planned for the waters off Rhode Island and, possibly, other offshore wind developments along the East Coast.

The QDC and the Carcieri administration are counting on Deepwater's proposal to drive the creation of a green technology hub in Quonset Point. The latest projects the QDC is looking to start would support that goal.

The work would also help position the port to participate in a federal program to increase the transport of freight around the Northeast by ships or barges.

The grants from the Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery program would fund purchase of a crane that could lift wind turbine components as well as containers. In addition, they would go toward the construction of a storage terminal for turbine parts and containers. Money would also pay for rail and road improvements.

The QDC estimates that the funding package would create between 500 and 800 jobs for projects that would be completed by 2012.

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