July 29, 1999

To the Providence Business News,

I'm bemused by the irony of the article "RI shifts slowly to new economy." While our state government is mired in debate over building a mega-port of dubious merit, we let languish and even despoil the crown jewel in our limited arsenal of potential attractions to this state -- Quonset. Your article speaks of needing a hi-tech park, and Quonset beckons. Hi-tech companies like beautiful settings for their employees, and Quonset could be one of the most beautiful in this country -- and it could become so in far less time than it will take to build a mega-port -- if only our government officials had the wisdom and foresight to see this.

I've sent many such letters and gotten lip-service response. It's time for the business community in this state to wake up and think through the implications of the new economy we're entering. It's not too late to salvage Quonset, but it will be so soon if too many corrugated steel warehouses are haphazardly erected, or if we start dredging and filling and building a huge parking lot for containers.