By Frank Lennon

This article originally appeared in the Providence Journal in the Op-Ed section, on 11 November 1998

Tuesday, July 4, 2000: We are reporting live from the deck of the aircraft carrier Saratoga, moored at the carrier pier of the old Quonset Point Naval Air Station. This is a big weekend for Rhode Island, as tens of thousands of people crowd the grounds for the dedication of the non-profit Air, Land & Sea History & Technology Park. Three hundred at a time are debarking from the new high-speed ferries linking Providence, Newport and Quonset. A steady stream of buses is flowing in from Connecticut, providing casino-goers and their families a break from the tables.

Many visitors are staring up in awe at Saratoga, moored at the very carrier pier from which her predecessors went to war against the Nazis, Other visitors are lining up for rides in a restored WWII bomber, a rare B-17 Flying Fortress now belonging to the Quonset Air Museum.

Many kids are dragging their parents to the much-anticipated Virtual Reality Pavilion. In fact, some parents are dragging their parents to this high-tech highlight of the Technology Center. There's a 73-year-old grandmother from Coventry: "I hear you put on a pair of goggles and you swear you're hang gliding over the Grand Canyon..."

The governor dedicated the Education and Technology Center and welcomed the first class at the vocational school, another key element that sets this project apart from most museums and attractions. "The sponsors understand the need to play an active, vital role in the community," the governor said "I think you'll agree they have achieved their goal."

This Park is not a pipe dream. It is a very realistic, achievable goal. All it takes is some vision and some guts. Vision, to see how this project can coexist with the proposed port development at Quonset. Guts, to make a decision "outside the box," and take advantage of a huge opportunity (USS Saratoga) that has literally floated into our lives. This concept does not conflict with any publicly announced container port alternatives. It appears that Rhode Island can have both projects at the same time.

Economic Development Corporation Director John Swen told Channel 12 News that EDC "hopes to be able to accommodate the Saratoga [museum project] somewhere in Rhode Island." In fairness, this Park proposal is an awkward late addition to the potential mix at Quonset. Swen and EDC staff members are focused (and rightly so) on moving the container port project forward through the mechanism of the stakeholder process, and it may not be possible to come to a final decision on the Park until the final shape and size of the port is determined.

If we were to develop this not-for-profit facility at Quonset, it would transform approximately 30 underused acres at the southwest corner of the old naval air station into an exciting historic attraction, education center and family recreation facility. While the Quonset Air Museum will be the catalyst, crown jewel of the attraction will be the Saratoga, making Narragansett Bay home to the very first supercarrier ever opened to the public as a museum. Restoration of the old "Blue Beach" will round out a superb family attraction.

This nonprofit blend of past and future, family attraction and scientific frontier would:

• Attract over a half million visitors annually, many of whom would not otherwise come to the state;
  
• Generate more than $35 million in annual economic impact;
  
• Directly and indirectly, create more than 650 jobs;
  
• Result in a world-wide public relations boost for Rhode Island;
  
• Offer public access to and use of another part of the Quonset waterfront;
  
• Provide the bonus of significant educational, vocational, cultural and historic benefits to the taxpayers of Rhode Island.

To attract the attention of today's youth a successful museum must be more exciting than what's available on the home computer. This Park will become a living laboratory for cutting-edge computer technology; our aim is to create exhibits that bring alive Quonset's past and help anchor it firmly in the technological future. An immersive virtual environment will permit children visiting museums in other parts of the world to appear to be physically present here, conversing and even collaborating on an international virtual sand castle. (This same technology permitted astronauts in two countries to train together to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.)

It is important to emphasize, however, this is a commercial project in land-use terms; it is a positive economic engine which also happens to offer significant "quality of life" side benefits. It will clearly be able to pay for itself, with even the most pessimistic estimates still enabling us to cover all operating costs and debt service from the very first year it opens its doors.

At the September 10th, 1998 Quonset stakeholders meeting, Governor Almond welcomed new input and alternative ideas for the entire project, not just the container port. The Governor indicated the state would be receptive to any and all economically viable alternativesthe Air, Land & Sea History & Technology Park is such a project.

The Park already enjoys a broad-based coalition of bipartisan support, as well as the endorsement of a wide range of interest groups. As the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) knows from the experience of the Quonset stakeholder process, getting such diverse groups as environmentalists, businessmen and labor unions to agree can be quite a challenge. The Air/Land/Sea History & Technology Park has already achieved such a consensus.

Both the Rhode Island Pilots Association and Save the Bay agree that this idea is consistent with their own visions for Quonset and the Bay. Rhode Island Building Trades was impressed to see a development budget of $15 million, which would generate 148 person-years of construction employment. President Jack Cronin says, "Our unions will be 100% behind this project."

In addition to putting people to work immediately on construction, this project will create 100 jobs at the Park within five years. These are full-time positions averaging $22,000 per yearequivalent to the current wage in Rhode Island for fabricated metal manufacturing jobs, according to EDC. Providing visitor services and park support will generate more than 550 additional jobs in the state.

Revitalization of retail businesses along Post Road is a primary goal of North Kingstown. The Park would accelerate that rebirth significantly. Ann O'Neill of the South County Tourism Council says a major attraction in South County would provide casino-goers with a Rhode Island side trip which would help balance the dollars now flowing to Connecticut. Ralph Boragine of the Rhode Island Seafood Council suggests the carrier's built-in water filtration and circulation systems could be a boon to aquaculture projects.

Development of the machine shops aboard the carrier into a vocational school will create jobs, train workers and make the rest of the park more attractive for industry. Bob Silvestre, VP for Academic Affairs at CCRI, wrote that "CCRI will be an enthusiastic supporter." Development of new skills will qualify students for higher-paying jobs and careers, and vocational training can be tied into a business incubator. Assessments CCRI has done in conjunction with the manufacturing community reflect "a clear need" for such services, according to Silvestre.

Irv Levin, retired Cranston legislator who now heads the United Veterans Council, points to the voting power of the more than 115,000 veterans in Rhode Island. The Council consists of representatives from eight major veterans' groups, who have voted unanimously to endorse this vision for Quonset.

Creation of this park would also have a national and international impact. New York Congressman Charles Schumer wrote to Governor Almond: "The USS Saratoga carried servicemen from every state, and is therefore of great national interest. The park and technology center would serve as an important historic and educational resource for visitors for years to come."

Lieutenant Governor Jackvony has been a strong supporter of multi-use at Quonset in general and the Air, Land & Sea museum concept in particular--although not necessarily at Quonset. He has worked hard to find common ground between EDC and the project sponsors, and has encouraged the Quonset decision makers to "proceed with an open mind" in evaluating all options.

Others, including Congressman Bob Weygand, strongly favor the Quonset alternative. Weygand wrote to Governor Almond, "I hope you will see the potential benefit this proposal has for economic development. This project can add greatly to the enjoyment of Rhode Islanders...with minimal impact on any future development plans for the area."

At the same time, we remain open to the possibility that Quonset is not the only option for this Park. It is important to realize, however, that the cost/benefit ratios will change along with the site. Development elsewhere will probably require a financial subsidy from the state to both build and operate the facility. Most other sites require dredging and/or pier construction which would significantly increase cost and environmental impact.

No other site offers an aviation museum, an active runway and a similarly rich military history. Objective observers from around the world believe this combination makes for a stunning concept. Christopher Terry, Director General of the National Aviation Museum of Canada observes, "The prospect of having an aircraft carrier docked in close proximity to an aviation museum which is, itself, on an active airfield merits very serious consideration."

COL Richard L. Uppstrom, USAF (Ret), former director of the United States Air Force Museum in Dayton echoed Terry's conclusion. "Your project sounds like a great idea. As they say, location, location, location is everything, and you have it at Quonset Point."

The Saratoga is currently at the Navy base in Coddington Cove, Middletown, but it is unrealistic to expect the Navy to give up its piers and surrounding land in the immediate future. It also makes more sense to develop the Park in South County rather than shoehorn another major tourist draw into already crowded Aquidneck Island. Middletown Councilman Michael Kehew told the Providence Journal: "I think the idea is great, especially moving it to Quonset Point!"

The idea of locating the attraction at a less than optimum site is eerily reminiscent of the previously failed Jacksonville attempt to turn the Saratoga into a museum. There, the best site carried a $4.5 million price tag. Local political pressures relocated the project to a site which required extensive pier construction and dredging, raising the capital requirements to $7 million. Project funding peaked out at $6.5 million, well in excess of what it would have cost at the original site, but not enough to do it at the alternate.

If the other sites are not feasible, the issue then is: Which of the potential uses for the Quonset carrier pier is best for all Rhode Islanders? The Office of Thomas J. Martin, market research professionals experienced in assessing similar projects concluded, "From a net present value' perspective, the comparative economic benefits of the USS Saratoga-anchored Historic Park are overwhelming versus the alternative uses."

To our knowledge, the only other contender for use of the carrier pier is Newport-based American Shipyard, which holds a use agreement for one side of the pier. Now that New England Boatbuilders of Portsmouth appears to have purchased American Shipyard out of bankruptcy, why not work together? A long-term contract to maintain an aircraft carrier could provide a base on which to grow their Newport yacht business, guarantee additional Quonset jobs, and still enable the carrier museum to exist.

Most of those who have taken the time to carefully study this proposal agrees this is a great opportunity. Many of these endorsements are summarized by former banker Edward Mazze, now Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Rhode Island:

"The Center, once established, will be an important component to the economic development of the region and the State of Rhode Island in terms of job creation, attracting tourists and as a source of revenue...the Center could be a powerful part of the State's economic platform in attracting new industry and keeping current industry."

We call upon the Economic Development Corporation to take a hard look at these benefits, and find a way to seize the moment. If the decision on this project can be taken outside the stakeholder process, let's do it. If not, then include us in the process. Either way, we should not allow this opportunity to slip through our fingers.

What can you as individuals do to help make this vision a reality? Let your elected officials know of your support for this concept. Write to the governor, to your legislators and to this newspaper. If your service club or neighborhood association would like a presentation on this project, we'll be happy to make one. Just call us at (401) 831-8696, or e-mail us at SaveSara@aol.com.

July 4, 2000. Save the date.

West Point graduate Frank Lennon, a Providence native and former aviation museum director, now heads up the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation.

Last Updated:
9/29/01