Lawmakers hold bill to redirect DOE warehouse project after Port Authority and DOE debate revenue split and costs

Summary

Committee held bill 36‑0065, which would let the Port Authority build a Department of Education warehouse at an alternate DOE property; VIPA and DOE described predevelopment costs, demolition needs and disagreements about whether revenue remittance should be measured on gross or net and what share VIPA should remit.

CHARLESTOWN, St. Thomas — The Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture held bill 36‑0065 on June 9 after testimony from the Virgin Islands Port Authority and the Department of Education revealed unresolved questions about project cost allocation, site suitability and the formula for remitting income from commercial leasing.

The bill would amend Act No. 85‑12, which originally transferred the former Adelita Cancrine Junior High School campus to the Port Authority in exchange for the Port Authority constructing a 35,000‑square‑foot warehouse to support Department of Education (VIDE) operations (school lunch storage and related logistics). Bill 36‑0065 would instead authorize construction at a DOE‑owned property (referred to in testimony as the Island Block/Red Cross site and cited in the bill as Parcel 1B and 47B‑1 in Gasworks Gade, Crown Prince Quarter, St. Thomas). The Department of Education testified that the Island Block site can accommodate district and state administrative offices and a warehouse; DOE asked to correct the property description in the bill and to preserve the warehouse minimum of 35,000 square feet.

What VIPA said

Carlton Dow, executive director of the Virgin Islands Port Authority, told the committee VIPA has already budgeted a predevelopment contract and is spending on planning and design work for the…

Lawmakers hold bill to redirect DOE warehouse project after Port Authority and DOE debate revenue split and costs

Summary

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