Rhode Island leaders joined NOAA officials at 11 a.m. to break ground on the new Marine Operations Center – Atlantic (MOC-A). Sen. Jack Reed and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will also be in attendance.
An illustration of the new NOAA marine operations center planned for Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island. (Image credit: Burns & McDonnell)
Reed, who helped secure funding for the project, announced last year that it would be relocating the facility from Norfolk, Virginia, to Newport.
The new shoreside facility will support 200 jobs, be used to coordinate ships in the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes, and will be the homeport of NOAA’s flagship research vessels.
“The construction of this center is another example of investment that will once again put Rhode Islanders to work in good paying jobs that will pay dividends for generations to come,” Gov. Dan McKee said.
It will also feature a pier, floating dock, warehouse and space for ship repairs.
Reed added the project will create synergy between the University of Rhode Island’s School of Oceanography and Newark, which does research on underwater facilities.
Right now, NOAA has two ships homeported at Naval Station Newport’s Pier 2 on Narragansett Bay.
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