The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has approved a $12 million grant to the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) to reconstruct, fortify and modernize the Patrick Sweeney Police Headquarters on St. Croix.
The headquarters – previously a critical resource and central hub for VIPD’s operations on St. Croix — has been exposed to repeated storm damage since its closure in 2007. This award will ensure the proper restoration and hardening of the building, making it more resilient in the event of a disaster and providing a safe shelter for police and emergency personnel.
“This grant award has been a long time coming and one the people of St. Croix are very deserving of, more important[ly], the hard-working and dedicated police officers,” Police Commissioner Ray Martinez stated. “The highly anticipated restoration of the Patrick Sweeney Police Headquarters, when completed, will be on par with industry standards…modernized and touted throughout the Caribbean and nationally,” Martinez said.
The phased planning and approval process for this project has multiple parts. The first phase, architecture and engineering, will entail designs, land surveys and permitting. Once the architectural design is approved, funds will be appropriated to start the demolition and then reconstruction of a new facility. A firm will be solicited to execute Phase 1 by March 2022, and demolition should begin by December 2023.
“Reconstructing the Patrick Sweeney Police Headquarters will be a great benefit to the community,” said Office of Disaster Recovery Director Adrienne L. Williams-Octalien. “This award is a vital step towards strengthening essential infrastructure, increasing capacity and ensuring the safety of the men and women of the Virgin Islands Police Department.”
The new facility will be rebuilt outside of the flood zone, housing close to 30,000 sq. ft. of space for administrative and police functions. One of the intended features of the reconstructed headquarters will be a safe room. This addition will shelter emergency personnel in one central location in the event of a disaster, which will decrease dependence on federal preparedness and response and align the project with the goals of the Territorial Hazard Mitigation Plan.
