Gov. McKee tours Flex Technology Park building #5 at Quonset - by Steven King

As New England’s  leading business park with over 200 companies and 12,900 working here, the Quonset Development Corp. (QDC) team takes pride in providing flexible space options for both existing companies looking to expand and new arrivals to the park.

Gov. Dan McKee paid a visit to Quonset Business Park last month to tour our Flex Building Number 5, the latest of 11 planned buildings designed to provide flexible industrial space for manufacturing and other businesses.

“We’re all in on making Rhode Island a leader in the blue economy while creating good-paying jobs along the way,” Gov. McKee commented on Twitter about his visit. “It’s clear — Rhode Island has the momentum. Let’s keep going.”

Flex Building #5 is already booked with tenants, including the Ørsted/Eversource joint wind energy venture, reinforcing Quonset’s emerging role as a hub for offshore wind. Ørsted called Flex Building #5  “critical” to supporting their offshore wind projects and crews.

Quonset’s flex industrial campus was established in 2017, successfully filling a void in the commercial real estate sector with modern industrial and warehouse spaces for growing businesses. Many New England businesses have outgrown their current spaces or aren’t equipped to renovate or complete custom build-outs to suit their needs. QDC’s flex industrial campus bridges that gap by providing flexible facilities for businesses to grow.

QDC added to the flex industrial campus in 2019 with the addition of the second flex building, and completed the third flex building in 2020. The first three flex buildings offer units between 10,000 s/f and 40,000 s/f with individual offices, restrooms, and high-bay space for a variety of uses, including manufacturing.  Companies can combine units for even more space, as their needs require.

The seventh of the 11 planned Flex Industrial buildings was approved by the Quonset Board of Directors at their May meeting. Construction on building 5 will wrap up this summer, building 6 is now underway, and construction on building 7 should begin this summer as well.

The Flex Industrial Campus is just one more way that Quonset works hard to respond to the marketplace and help our companies succeed in it.  To learn more about these spaces and see if they’re right for your company, give me a call at 401.295.0044 x218.

Steven King, PE, is the managing director of the Quonset Development Corp., North Kingstown, RI.