Lawmakers reconsider Quonset port idea

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.—Rhode Island lawmakers toured the Quonset complex Friday as they put new consideration into an old idea.

The Quonset Business Park has seen success. It is home to the fifth-largest car import facility in the country, and plenty of new businesses dot the landscape.

But now members of the General Assembly’s Port Study Commission are taking yet another look at whether a major container port is the way to go at Quonset.

“We ought to be looking at things within Rhode Island that we can develop that are autonomous to us. I think a port is one that we should seriously look at,“ state Sen. William Walaska, D-Warwick, said.

Establishing a major port at Quonset is not a new idea. Dozens of studies are already gathering dust.

But Steven King, the managing director of the Quonset Development Corp., said the port operation now in place seems just fine.

“The middle-scale port that we’re running today is probably the most feasible, but we’re happy to look forward to the input of the commission,“ King said.

The legislative commission will make recommendations, which will come at a later date.