With 8,800 people working at its 164 companies, Quonset Business Park is clearly a validation of the state’s approach to reusing the former naval air station.
Its latest success story is nearing completion, as the TownePlace Suites by Marriott puts the finishing touches on a hotel for an April opening.
The TownePlace Suite’s completion can be seen as more than a much-needed piece of the Quonset business-development story. In fact, it is emblematic of what the state’s future economic successes should look like.
Designed for extended stays, the hotel’s primary focus will be on the business traveler – and as the state continues to develop its knowledge-based economy, there will be more visiting scholars and the like who will want to tap into the ideas and resources that the state has to offer and will need a place to hang their hat for weeks and months at a time.
But the hotel is also located within short travel times to South County and Newport’s tourist destinations, a resource that cannot be duplicated anywhere, and a natural complement to the Ocean State’s 21st-century economy. •