Three years after the Navy examined its bases across the United States to determine which ones to keep and which ones to close, it has become more evident that the Navy base in Newport has emerged as one of the winners.

That influx of new personnel, as well as the new spending on development projects, will have a positive economic impact on the Newport area and on Rhode Island in general, Poirier said.

Poirier, a former submarine commander, took charge of the Newport Naval Station at the end of September. He asked for this post, he said, because of his fondness for Rhode Island. He said his parents were from Woonsocket. Although he grew up in Virginia, he would come to Rhode Island each summer to visit his extended family, he said.

The projects for which contracts recently been award are:

• A $4.8-million combat training pool, which the Navy plans to begin construction on next month.


• Renovation of several buildings, including a dental clinic and two officer training command halls, for $17 million.


• The construction of the Naval Supply Corps School, which provides logistics, administrative and media training, at a cost of $24.5 million.

And, $15.8 million has been appropriated to replace one of two automobile bridges connecting the Navy base on Coasters Harbor Island to Aquidneck Island.

The Navy base has proposed building a new fitness center at $26.2 million, a maritime subsurface facility for $13.6 million, a new Army Reserve Center, and a new building to replace one currently used for Nimitz training, at a cost of $40.4 million.

Poirier said that the proposed projects have yet to be approved, and his job will be to persuade Navy officials to move forward with them.

“The hard part will be working within the Navy to advocate for those particular projects against, frankly, a crush of other projects.”

There not enough money to fund all the improvements requested by Navy bases around the country, he said.

“I think Newport is well positioned,” he said, because of its importance to the Navy, and because of the commitment to keep the base open.

There will likely be more development proposals as a “master plan” for the Navy base is developed, he said. Even so, he said he anticipates that there will still not be enough space to house the 16,000 students that will be on base in coming years.

The Navy will probably look to local hotels for space during peak times.
“If you’re a local businessman, invest in hotels,” he joked.