A proposed $55 million baseball, tennis, volleyball and swimming complex in Frederiksted took a step forward Wednesday night when a Senate committee voted to send forward legislation approving a Memorandum of Agreement between the V.I. government and the company selected for the project.
The Senate hearing room in Frederiksted was packed with supporters and opponents of the measure. Chairs and a television were set up in the courtyard for about 20 residents who could not fit in the room.
Under the terms of the agreement, the territory would invest $30 million. The V.I. Government would spend $5 million for designs and planning now, mostly from funds already appropriated to renovate the condemned Paul E. Joseph stadium.
Bonds would finance the remaining $25 million. The legislation before the Senate would also authorize the V.I. Public Finance Authority to issue the bonds.
The site will remain the property of the government and will be leased to GlobeVest for 30 years. At the end of the term the improvements on the property will revert to government ownership, according to the terms of the agreement. If approved and funded, the sports facilities will be built over 60 acres of land, with about 35 acres of public land and 25 acres of private land GlobeVest V.I. will purchase.
The completed sports facility would have four stadiums sanctioned by the various sports governing bodies, which will give it the ability to hold major international and regional tournaments.
Wednesday night’s hearing was the second Sen. Alvin Williams held for the bill in the Human Resources, Recreation and Sports Committee. In April, members of the community were invited to testify. Wednesday, senators followed up with administration and company officials.
Housing Parks and Recreation Commissioner St. Claire Williams emphasized the government was not in any way financing or guaranteeing the financing for privately owned facilities.
"The $25 million from the government, we made sure it would be spent on government-owned facilities on government land," St. Claire Williams said. The government would spend $14.8 million on a new Paul E. Joseph Baseball Stadium that would seat 3,500; $750,000 on a connected Little League ballpark able to seat 1,000; $500,000 on a permanent festival village, and $8.5 million on shared facilities such as parking lots, utilities, and lighting, St. Claire Williams said. All of these items would be part of the first phase, he said.
All the private elements, from volleyball courts to swimming pools, would be paid for entirely by private investors and built on land purchased by GlobeVest V.I., according to St. Claire Williams. If somehow the project did not come to fruition, the risk would be on the private partners and St. Croix would still get a new ballpark in Frederiksted, he said.
Alvin Williams, the committee chairman, said he was concerned about the ability of one of GlobeVest partners; theNational Swimming Center Corporation, to finance and carry through on plans to raise $15 million, to build and operate the facility’s aquatics center. No NSCC representatives were at the hearing. Williams asked another partner, John Lehmann, president of Network Sports Marketing, which has committed $10 million for the tennis and volleyball stadiums, about NSCC’s track record.
"Are you aware of any project completed by NSCC?" Alvin Williams asked. "Not that is completed, no," Lehmann said. "Are you aware of any project that has been started by NSCC ?" the chairman followed up. "Not that construction has started, no," Lehmann said.
Before the vote, Alvin Williams said he supported the concept behind the proposal, and if NSCC could persuade him that they were able to perform, he could support the bill, but could not support it at present.
Committee member Sen. Craig Barshinger offered an amendment on behalf of Sen. Sammuel Sanes, who is not a member of the committee. The amendment would require the Legislature to grant approval to the much more detailed master service agreement the government will negotiate with GlobeVest if the current legislation is approved. The amendment was adopted, with all members present voting yea. The bill as amended was sent on to the Committee and Rules and Judiciary for further consideration.
Voting yea were Sens. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen and Terrence "Positive" Nelson. Alvin Williams voted nay. Sen. Craig Barshinger abstained. Absent were Sens. Janette Millin-Young, Shawn-Michael Malone and Patrick Sprauve.
