PORT TASK FORCE: (from left) Department of Public Works Commissioner Nelson Petty, Gov. Kenneth Mapp and Department of Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty.
CHARLOTTE AMALIE – Gov. Kenneth Mapp met with the Ports of the Virgin Islands – Charlotte Amalie Task Force on Tuesday for the first task force meeting of 2018 to discuss port maintenance and expansion, the Main Street road project, harbor transportation, and a number of issues affecting the territory’s hospitality industry.
Mapp told those assembled that the territory was able to secure millions of dollars in federal funds to assist with dredging the Charlotte Amalie Harbor in order to upgrade and expand the ports to accommodate Oasis-class cruise ships and other large passenger vessels.
“It’s been a ride since September,” Mapp said. “It is time to catch up and coordinate on the things that we promised and share good news … we want our cruise line partners to know that our recovery is on schedule and that we are doing everything we have to do.”
Mapp said it was important that his team continue to communicate directly and regularly with the local business community so members are kept informed and the government can best respond to their needs.
Members of public sector who attended the meeting included Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty; Commissioner of Public Works Nelson Petty; Commissioner of Property and Procurement Lloyd T. Bough, Jr.; President and CEO of the West Indian Company (WICO) Clifford Graham; Chair of the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) Laurel Hewitt-Sewer; VIPA’s Assistant Executive Director and Director of Engineering Damian Cartwright; and Policy Advisor Samuel Carrion.
Private sector representatives in attendance included Pash Daswani, Vivek Daswani, John Woods, Filippo Cassinelli, Judith Watson, Shawn Stapleton, Michael Creque and Malorie Diaz.
Although this season has been challenging because of the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the task force agreed that the territory’s economic recovery remains promising.
Commissioner Petty reported that after slow progress from previous contractors, the newly selected team had quickened the pace of the Main Street road project. Much of the “tedious underground work is projected to be completed by late April,” Petty said. Progress is also being made on “transportation within the Charlotte Amalie Harbor and harbor transportation will begin service this October,” he said.
Commissioner Nicholson-Doty reported that United Airlines will return to the territory in April; Delta Air Lines will start a second Saturday flight between Atlanta and St. Thomas and resume daily service from New York in May; while Spirit Airlines will begin nonstop flights from Fort Lauderdale to St. Croix towards the end of May.
Business owners shared some growing pains of the recovery process, but were hopeful.
“We’re getting there. We’re getting good comments from our visitors. People coming to the restaurants are staying at villas and are positive about the recovery, so that’s a good thing. The visitors are sympathetic about the status of the island and are pleasantly surprised about the progress,” said Judith Watson, owner of Petite Pump Room, a popular restaurant on the Charlotte Amalie waterfront.