Jan. 16, 2003 – After more than two decades of planning, permit seeking, political wrangling and general melee, the groundwork for developing Crown Bay leapt its last hurdle Thursday as the Port Authority closed on a $35.4 million bond issue for the project.
Darlan Brin, Port Authority executive director, said in a release Thursday afternoon that the non-taxable bonds will provide about $18 million to expand the Crown Bay dock and some $17 million to construct a shopping center on adjacent land.
The bonds were approved by the VIPA board on Dec. 18, leaving only a Coastal Zone Management permit challenge by the League of Women Voters standing in the way. On Friday, the Board of Land Use Appeals granted a Port Authority motion to dismiss the appeal. (See "Board: Crown Bay permit covers shopping center".)
Brin said the contract for the design and construction of the project was awarded earlier to American Bridge Co., and work has begun on the design phase. The construction phase was contingent on the issuance of the bonds and can now proceed, he said.
Brin thanked Gov. Charles W. Turnbull for his support of the Crown Bay project and for mentioning it in his State of the Territory address Monday. Turnbull stepped in last March to quash a VIPA agreement for two cruise lines to do the developing, saying he wanted it done locally.
Under the controversial agreement, dating from 2001, Carnival Corp. and Royal Caribbean International had committed to investing $31 million to expand the dock and develop the shopping center. While the local business community supported expanding the Crown Bay dock, both Havensight and downtown merchants and the St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce came out strongly against the idea of a Crown Bay shopping center owned and operated by the cruise lines.
The West Indian Co., which owns the Havensight dock and manages Havensight Mall, also opposed the cruise line plans, saying the two companies would effectively control all cruise traffic into St. Thomas.
In March, the governor told the Port Authority to forget about the cruise lines deal and called for VIPA to partner with WICO instead, saying: "I believe it is important that the V.I. maintain full control of its harbor and harbor development."
However, VIPA decided to develop the project on its own, rather than team up with WICO, and received Senate approval of a major CZM permit in July for expansion of the Crown Bay dock. Once construction begins, the project is projected to take about 15 months to complete.
In his address Monday, Turnbull said that "the St. Thomas economy will get a boost from the Port Authority's expansion of the Crown Bay dock and the construction of a $30 million retail complex at the other side of the Charlotte Amalie harbor."
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