July 25, 2001 – University of the Virgin Islands President Orville Kean said Wednesday that despite the fact that he will be retiring next year, he is intent on ensuring that the university's proposed Research Technology Park, designed to spur economic activity in the territory, becomes a reality.
"Even though I indicated that I will be retiring in about a year, that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on this," Kean told a luncheon meeting of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce.
"I've made a promise to the people of the Virgin Islands," he said. "I'm not running for office … but this is going to happen, and it's going to happen like I said."
Kean said the park will draw off-island investors in technology-related businesses to St. Croix because of the high-speed broadband Internet connections available through Global Crossing and AT&T.
While acknowledging that this is a major undertaking for UVI, Kean said it would create a strong partnership among the university, industry and government to create information-age opportunities for local employment, broaden the teaching and research capabilities of the university, and facilitate joint ventures with corporate partners in the development and marketing of new technologies and applications.
Kean recently introduced the plan to the Senate Finance Committee. He said Wednesday that he was unsure whether it would be acted on by the end of August.
"Our prospective anchor tenants wanted the bill to be in place by the end of June," he said. "Then, after the bill is passed, a park authority and a board will have to be put in place, which will take some time."
He said the university is trying to find ways in which this can be done quickly, because "there are folks who want to dedicate and break ground before the end of this year."
Kean said the university is looking to put the park on public land that he is hoping the government will make available. But, he said, "We would like to make the park as self-sufficient as possible and not to be a drain on the V.I. government." He was quick to add, "We don't know whether or not that can be done. We are exploring all kinds of possibilities."
One thing agreed upon, he said, is that the tenants will build their own structures, and so UVI is ooking for "strong companies that can build their own facilities."
Kean said similar projects have been very successful in other parts of the world.
Chamber members expressed concern about whether Kean's successor will see the park through. He offered this reassurance: "I'm the tip of the iceberg, and if you knock the tip off the iceberg, it will still be there."
He added, "These things that have happened to the university under my tenure have been the result of a whole lot of other people … If the Titanic had just hit the tip, it would still be around."
