Committee holds bill to redirect DOE warehouse construction; VIPA and Education negotiate revenue split

The Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture on June 9 held bill 36‑0065 after testimony from the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA), the Department of Education (VIDE) and the Bureau of School Construction and Maintenance about an amendment to Act 85‑12.

The bill would change the site identified in Act 85‑12 for a 35,000‑square‑foot Department of Education warehouse and preserve the original act’s intent that proceeds from commercial use of the former Adela Cancering campus help support school maintenance. Committee members voted to hold the measure to permit VIPA and VIDE to resolve differences over construction obligations and how lease income is shared.

What agencies said

Carlton Dow, VIPA executive director, told the committee that VIPA supports building the DOE warehouse but—after a site inspection and engineering review—concluded the existing Gasworks Gade warehouses are not suitable for retrofit and that new construction would be required. Dow said VIPA has already authorized predevelopment work and expects design and permitting costs; the board approved roughly $400,000 for predevelopment work and VIPA estimates it could spend in excess of $1 million…