NEW BEDFORD – Mayor Jon Mitchell was joined by Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller, Avangrid Chief Development Officer Ken Kimmell, New Bedford Economic Development Council Executive Director Derek Santos, New Bedford Ocean Cluster Executive Director Jennifer Downing and other officials Monday to announce the relaunching of the City’s business support center as The Quest: New Bedford’s Enterprise Hub.
The three-story, City-owned facility at 1213 Purchase St. will be enhanced from top to bottom, including a new entry lobby, atrium stairs, and common areas, as well as a completely renovated top floor with dedicated space for offshore wind and maritime industry businesses.
Externally, The Quest will feature new lighting, mechanical and utility upgrades, and a repointing of the brick facade. A new logo and sign will illuminate on the side of the building, visible off JFK Boulevard on the way in and out of historic Downtown.
The Quest will serve as a physical anchor in the growing development district just north of Downtown. Its neighbor, New Bedford Research and Robotics, is in the middle of an expansion project to further its focus on developing data science, marine tech, artificial intelligence, robotics and other businesses linked to applied sciences. And The Quest is conveniently located close to several new housing developments and the passenger rail station.
“The Quest will be a nerve-center for start-ups and established companies to exchange ideas, leverage resources, and ultimately grow and expand,” Mayor Mitchell said. “The Quest will contribute to the revitalization of its neighborhood and add to the dynamism of the Greater New Bedford economy, especially in the maritime sector.”
Funding for the $3 million project includes a $1.5 million American Rescue Plan Act award from the City, and $1.5 million from Vineyard Wind’s Offshore Wind Industry Accelerator Fund, which aims to accelerate the development of offshore wind businesses, infrastructure, and supply chain in New Bedford and throughout Massachusetts.
“The launch of The Quest marks a transformative step for New Bedford’s maritime and offshore wind sectors, and I am grateful to Mayor Mitchell for his leadership in once again prioritizing the investment of federal ARPA funds towards long-term projects and partnerships that will pay dividends for years to come in the City,” Congressman Bill Keating said. “This revitalized space will foster innovation, collaboration, and economic growth and will be a beacon of opportunity for businesses eager to plug into New Bedford’s leading role in the Blue Economy.”
“New Bedford is at the very heart of the Vineyard Wind project, and we are proud to help advance the continued development of the City’s maritime and business community by supporting The Quest,” said Vineyard Wind CEO Klaus Moeller. “We are grateful to our partners throughout the City, and commend Mayor Mitchell for his vision and dedication to New Bedford’s growing innovation economy.”
“The retooled Quest will bring together so many drivers of New Bedford’s innovation economy, from traditional maritime industries to the diverse set of ocean users that make up the fabric of the City’s past, present, and future success,” said Avangrid Chief Development Officer Ken Kimmell. “Avangrid is proud to stand as a partner with the City and continue to support its development as a hub of the maritime economy on the East Coast.”
While The Quest will get a fresh, new look and upgraded amenities to support business development, anchor tenants like Groundwork, a locally-owned co-working space on the first floor, and the New Bedford Economic Development Council on the second floor will remain unchanged.
The renovated third floor will be anchored by the new home of the New Bedford Ocean Cluster, a nonprofit maritime industry association dedicated to advancing the City’s ocean economy. In addition to the NBOC’s office, the third floor will feature small office suites, event space, meeting rooms, and common areas to support New Bedford’s growing offshore wind activity and related maritime businesses. Companies that support the marshaling phase of offshore wind projects often need modest short-term office space, ideally in proximity to one another. The third floor will be designed to suit these needs.”
“The third floor of The Quest will provide much-needed space for a range of maritime businesses, from start-ups to established companies, to set-up shop, build their business, and plug into the ecosystem here in New Bedford,” said Downing, NBOC executive director. “Successful cluster organizations around the world in places like Iceland and the UK have office and convening space to facilitate the growth of their maritime clusters. We frequently get office space requests from blue economy companies, so this new space will no doubt meet a growing need as our blue economy continues to grow here in New Bedford. This has been a missing piece for the NBOC since our launch six years ago.”
The Quest will compliment New Bedford’s other maritime, commercial fishing and offshore wind facilities, providing proximity to the waterfront, North Terminal, the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, Bristol Community College’s National Offshore Wind Institute, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s proposed Offshore Renewable Energy Innovation Center on MacArthur Drive.
