New York-based construction and development company Skanska has secured a $146.8 million contract from the U.S. Navy to design and build a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facility on Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island.
The Atlantic Marine Operations Center must accommodate four large vessels and feature a floating dock for smaller vessels, a building for shoreside support and space for ship repairs and parking, NOAA said Tuesday.
Partly funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the new NOAA base will support the agency’s Atlantic fleet that collects data needed to protect marine life, manage commercial fisheries, understand climate change and produce nautical charts.
“As we work to combat the climate crisis, building climate resilient facilities, like this one in Rhode Island, is critical to ensuring our infrastructure stands the test of time,” said Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
The Navy expects to complete construction on the site by 2027.