V.I. Port Authority officials said Thursday the remaining interior drywall and painting at St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport terminal will begin by Monday, March 4, and the terminal’s roof repairs are expected to be completed by April 30.
A new 40,000-square-foot cargo warehouse is being designed to replace the damaged building at Rohlsen. This project will be advertised for bid in March 2019. VIPA awarded the final phase of the work to V.I. Asphalt Products Company.
The announcement, contained in a news release issued Thursday, was part of an update on progress with the permanent repairs of VIPA’s 119 facilities damaged in the hurricanes of September 2017. VIPA reportedly competitively selected Lemartec, Inc. in November 2017 to manage the restoration of its damaged airports and seaports.
The Cyril E. King Airport terminal on St. Thomas was the most severely damaged facility. VIPA is revising plans to expand and modernize this 30-year-old facility, while also performing hurricane repairs and keeping the airport in full operation. Most of the work is done at night so that airport operations are not interrupted.
According to VIPA, repairs to the King Air Cargo Facility will begin within the next six weeks, pending the arrival of material. VIPA asserts the King Airport terminal roof replacement is about 92 percent completed.
Other terminal renovations underway include:
– An overhaul of the lobby area restrooms and improvements to the external lighting system.
– Flooring replacement is scheduled to begin Thursday.
– Air conditioning system maintenance is ongoing and includes installing two new 400-ton chiller units. Installation is scheduled to begin in the next two weeks according to VIPA.
Seaports:
Construction of the new U.S. Customs and Border Protection Building in Cruz Bay, St. John, has begun and should be ready for occupancy by September.
Demolition of damaged structures at the Crown Bay Center on St. Thomas has begun. Permanent interior repairs will start at several locations by March 11.
The two-level parking garage at the Urman V. Fredericks Marine Terminal in Red Hook was delayed to implement new building requirements, according to changes made to local building codes in 2018. Construction has resumed, and VIPA projects the garage will be completed before the summer of 2019.
On St. Croix, a new office and cargo warehouse is being designed to replace the container port building at the Wilfred Allick Port and Transshipment Center, which was damaged in the storms. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2019. VIPA is reviewing the bids received this month to repair the roll on/roll off ramp at this facility.
The new multi-purpose terminal at the Gallows Bay Port in Christiansted was designed in 2015. While construction is now underway, VIPA recently amended the project to ensure that the new terminal will be built in compliance with stricter building codes that went into effect in 2018. The terminal is scheduled for completion by June 2019.
At the Svend Ovesen Seaplane Facility in Christiansted, VIPA is reviewing bids received this month to stabilize the deteriorated bulkhead at the seaplane facility in Christiansted.
Administrative Buildings
The staff in the administrative building adjacent to the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas have relocated to Building A, 161-A Crown Bay Center, until June, while the administrative building is being renovated.
A new purchasing building and warehouse are being designed to replace the damaged structure adjacent to King Airport. This project will be advertised for bid in March.
VIPA has selected new equipment for the Lindbergh Bay Park on St. Thomas. Other repairs to the fixtures in the water playground area will begin soon, as VIPA hopes to have the park open for this summer.
