Local delegates and businesspeople gathered at The Gateway in Quonset to celebrate the opening of Rhode Island's newest hotel.

The Marriott TownePlace Suites marked its grand opening today with speakers ranging from Sen. Jack Reed to Rep. James Langevin to Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts to state and local elected officials and developers.

The hotel’s opening serves as another step in the growth of the former Navy base’s resurgence as a viable business park. TownePlace Suites, a 104-room hotel, is a registered LEED silver building (the first in West Bay Rhode Island) with developers anticipating a LEED certification later this summer. Eighteen geothermal wells coupled with other energy efficient measures such as electric heat pumps (which monitor room temperature based on whether there are occupants in the room) and advanced ventilation systems allow the hotel will use 26 percent less energy.

“We are pleased that this project is both environmentally friendly and economically sound and it will provided much-needed permanent jobs,” said Mark Hayward, director of the SBA Rhode Island District Office.

The hotel’s opening marked the end of a 10-year-long project to bring a hotel to Quonset Point. Tax incentives from the Town of North Kingstown and the Small Business Administration’s 504 loan program, mixing investments from the borrower and government funds, played pivotal roles in making the endeavor coming to life. According to Mark Hayward of SBA, the Marriott loan was the largest 504 loan in the state of Rhode Island.

Elected officials who spoke gave glowing praise of the quick growth in Quonset Business Park.

“We’re at almost 9,000 workers here,” said Reed. “This is becoming a world-class facility.”

For Roberts, the metamorphosis Quonset has undergone from a defunct Navy base to a bustling business park is a “success story we need more of.”

“Rhode Island has been struggling and to see progress like this, it’s encouraging,” said Langevin. “Quonset/Davisville continues to be a bright spot for our economy.”

The hotel’s rooms, with rates beginning at $109 per night, are designed for extended stays and feature living areas and kitchens complete with stovetops and full refrigerators. Adding a little touch of local flavor, the artwork in the hotel is comprised of local sites and photos including Quonset huts.

Adding to its environmentally friendly design, including large windows (which actually open) to increase natural sunlight, the hotel uses “green” products such as chemical-free cleaning products and low VOC paints.