Remember When: February 21, 1963 - Multi-Million Dollar Plant for Rhode Island

Reprinted from February 21, 1963 issue of the New England Real Estate Journal

NEREJ February 21, 1963

Charlestown, RI The United Nuclear Corporation plans to build on a 1,200 acre site a $7-10 million nuclear plant. The company, one of the largest suppliers of nuclear fuel (uranium & others) in the country, plans to use the plant for nuclear fuel processing and a fabrication center.

The land, which borders on the Pawcatuck and Indian Cedar Swamp waterways, is valued at some $300,000 and negotiations for the purchase are expected to be consummated soon.

President of the United Nuclear in Washington, D.C., Richard D. Bokum, said that construction of the first of several buildings is slated to start in the coming spring. The project will employ more than a thousand personnel and will supply fuel for military, commercial and research reactors. The completion of the entire plant will take several years.

Governor of Rhode Island, John Chafee, was impressed about the project and happily said “It will be a tremendously exciting thing for us here in Rhode Island.” Speaking in favor of progress, for Rhode Island’s sake, the Governor felt that the nuclear fuel plant will bring one of the “new science-oriented industries that we are anxious to have.”