Gov. John deJongh Jr. has petitioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a one-year extension to complete underground utilities in the Main Street Charlotte Amalie revitalization project, saying doing all the work immediately will hurt downtown businesses by closing roads too often for too long.
In a letter to Alejandro De La Campa, FEMA’s director for the Caribbean area, deJongh said pushing back the V.I. Water and Power Authority and Public Works projects will allow the agencies to coordinate their work without causing extensive harm to downtown businesses, according to a statement from Government House.
“Our request to FEMA, which has been a tremendous partner in our efforts to insulate our utilities from hazardous conditions, will allow us to better schedule the overall project and coordinate the associated activities. This is especially needed during January thru March at the height of the tourist season,” deJongh said in a statement released Thursday.
He also said that to begin a major underground project that will involve extensive excavation is too much of a risk to our retailers, their employees and the property owners.
According to deJongh, the Public Works is ready to begin the revitalization of downtown Charlotte Amalie in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration. The work entails reconstruction of downtown infrastructure, including electrical, storm and wastewater, telecommunications, as well as roadways and sidewalks along Main Street.
Public Works intends to integrate the project with WAPA’s underground hazard mitigation project.
The WAPA project was slated to begin this month to ensure completion by March 18, and the Public Works project is scheduled for May. However, WAPA officials have agreed that pushing back its timeline to avoid the tourist season would mitigate the impact of their project. The presence of major underground structures such as sewer, storm drains and water mains would prove to be major construction obstacles that will negatively impact the project.
“The coordination effort that is required for both projects to coincide to lessen the impact can be achieved once the project can go forward after the height of the season,” deJongh said.
Acknowledging the territory had a previously approved time extension, deJongh asked FEMA to consider an additional one.
The cost of the project will be determined once Public Works establishes the scope of the project and advertises for bid.
DeJongh said his appeal to FEMA is a move to prevent the Main Street shopping area in downtown Charlotte Amalie from being disrupted by construction two times in as many tourist seasons.
“We have sought the extension to mitigate these disruptions,” he said.
The governor also said on Thursday that a similar utility project is under way in downtown Christiansted and that a request for an extension could not be pursued as FEMA had previously advised WAPA that it could not grant an extension for the work on St. Croix. And unlike St. Thomas, Public Works did not have a project set for construction in downtown St. Croix.
Public Works is, however, is proceeding with the renovation and reconstruction of the Christiansted Boardwalk.
