U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and a host of other officials celebrated a groundbreaking Monday for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atlantic operations center at Naval Station Newport in Middletown.
The project represents a windfall of $146 million in federal spending in Rhode Island that will create local construction jobs through a project labor agreement and employ dozens of land-based NOAA staffers responsible for monitoring and supporting research ships at sea.
“Breaking ground on this NOAA home port is the culmination of over 10 years of work,” said U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, who announced in March 2023 that NOAA’s Atlantic operations center would move to Rhode Island from Norfolk, Virginia.
Reed said the location in Middletown makes sense since it is part of Naval Station Newport used by the Navy and Coast Guard, near the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, and not far from a NOAA facility in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.
“So we’re at the intersection of all of the blue economy and blue research, I think, not just on the East Coast but everywhere,” Reed said.
According to NOAA, the project will include a pier to accommodate four large ships, a floating dock for smaller vessels, space for repairs and parking, and a warehouse. Construction is expected to be completed in 2027.
Those on hand for the groundbreaking included U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whiitehouse, U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo, Newport Mayor Xakham Khamsyvoravong, URI President Marc Parlange, and NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad.
NOAA is part of the vast portfolio of the U.S. Commerce Department, and Secretary Raimondo cited the groundbreaking as a benefit of the Biden’s administration’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, an initiative meant to reduce climate change.
“This investment is made possible because of that,” she said.
Later, during a scrum with reporters, Raimondo declined to directly comment when asked by The Public’s Radio if she is concerned that disaffection among some Democrats with the Biden administration’s approach to Gaza might hurt the president’s chances in November.
Raimondo, who was first elected in 2014 and served until taking the job as commerce secretary in March 2021, also declined to directly address a question about whether her administration adequately guarded against problems with the Washington Bridge.
“I haven’t been governor in years and all questions related to the bridge I’ll defer to Gov. McKee,” she said.
During her time as governor, Raimondo gave a cold shoulder to McKee, the lieutenant governor at the time, but he has treated her graciously publicly since succeeding her in 2021 – and she has returned the favor, praising his performance in the job. During his comments at the groundbreaking, McKee cited a recent profile of Raimondo on “60 Minutes,” calling it a source of pride for Rhode Islanders.
