Anyone see the site that they are putting that new hotel/resort??

like all other governors we have had . name me one governor that was good for this island

Unfortunately, I am new to the islands, just struggling with the over promise under deliver attitude of this particular governor. I have met so many great people on the STX, that it saddens me that they allow this to happen.

The islands have so much potential, but rely to much on cruise ships in my opinion. If you look at the DR, they have plenty of resorts (all inclusive) and have made themselves a destination and always wondered why the VI didn't do the same. STX has some beautiful areas, better people and sandy beaches, but never really took advantage of it.
I do understand trying to keep them as they are, but down the road with no real commerce besides tourism, what will become of them?

Anyways, I hope that some day, the people will wake up and stop accepting the political machine that has drained these islands of all their potential.

I'm not an expert on the DR but I imagine they have/had lot's of available large parcels of real estate with nice beaches readily ripe for more recent virgin development, no pun intended. Certainly the DR is orders of magnitude larger than the VI. Contrast that to the smaller VI where we don't have that. We have some smaller parcels available close to ocean on ocean front. The prime spots have already been developed. We do have parcels on STX northside but on steep hills and across from the ocean, not so much beach. South Shore is open but not highly desirable. The old ST C hotel property is a good opportunity for a smaller boutique resort. STJ is almost all park, we don't need any more resorts there. I think STX is still slowly recovering from Hugo and Marlyn, certainly a lot of progress has been made.

Also, if you are talking about all-inclusives, you have to have a work force that get it. AIs don't seem to work in the USVI.

You don't want more hotel/resorts consuming the last, best waterfront real estate left.
Cyclical industies like tourism is not a long term answer.
Companies such as Hess created solid union jobs that people could support families with. Non-government jobs with medical benefits and pensions, unreliant on public tax revenue is key. We can no longer afford to prop up everything with borrowed money, the credit card is maxed out.

(tu)(tu) Right on singlefin.

If you look at the DR, they have plenty of resorts (all inclusive) and have made themselves a destination and always wondered why the VI didn't do the same. .

DR, as mentioned, is huge in comparison and All Inclusive resorts work well there because many visitors do not care to venture out for local contact and few places there outside of resort areas cater to tourism - a very different situation and economy.

If you look at the DR, they have plenty of resorts (all inclusive) and have made themselves a destination and always wondered why the VI didn't do the same. .

DR, as mentioned, is huge in comparison and All Inclusive resorts work well there because many visitors do not care to venture out for local contact and few places there outside of resort areas cater to tourism - a very different situation and economy.

For sure and probably the reason AI resorts don't work out well in the VI. The VI has so much to offer outside the resort gate both in activities and restaurants.

what we need here are small "mom and pop" hotels with 10-15 rooms and a small bar to serve drinks and snack during he day no full blown meals. That way our visitors need to venture out for meal, helps restaurants and cab drivers. There can be a service desk to book tours and what not. Give these new hotels a years break on WAPA to get established or hell go solar. That's what STX could use.

what we need here are small "mom and pop" hotels with 10-15 rooms and a small bar to serve drinks and snack during he day no full blown meals. That way our visitors need to venture out for meal, helps restaurants and cab drivers. There can be a service desk to book tours and what not. Give these new hotels a years break on WAPA to get established or hell go solar. That's what STX could use.

there's a few of those out there, I know of at least one in F'sted & "the fred" will be a great addition as well.... though a bit more "resort" like according to the final plans.

F'sted is already very "alternative life style" friendly... IMO if the gov. was smart here they'd push that angle HARD and advertise in S.F., where ever the gay community picks to "make a spot" gets improved & successful.. (though maybe a bit of gentrification as well).

There are now hundreds of AirBNB, VRBO and Homestay operators in the VI who have filled the void left by the lack of hotel/resort developments. Many of these operators (including myself) do very well with things just the way they are. However, I still think we could use a few more big resorts to increase our airlift.

But who's going to blink first? hotels won't build without airlift, airlines won't add without hotels.

But who's going to blink first? hotels won't build without airlift, airlines won't add without hotels.

there's a few projects in the works... fighting permitting mostly not airline issues. IIRC.

The VI Government has many properties they can renovate and consolidate instead of renting from entities (cronies) that cost us MILLIONS of DOLLARS, initially and over time. Nor do they have to give concessions or rent government properties for pennies on the dollar. Taxi Association for one.

The saying "build it and they will come," no longer holds true when your destination is a dumpy trash site that's touted as crime ridden with poor roads, is an expensive destination, environmentally and infrastructurally challenged. We don't need huge hotel and marina infrastructures that sit empty 3/4 of the year.

The "buck" stops HERE has to start at the top.
If one looks at the costs for construction that our legislature, our past and present governors, our attorney generals have authorized of many buildings that have been shown to be subpar, not to mention the malfeasance, the waste, outright theft that has happened over the decades and people in high positions criminally charged it's no wonder why we are in a financial crisis....and it continues.

Monarch Mapp and his takeover of government boards continues.
Y'all best "wise up!"

what we need here are small "mom and pop" hotels with 10-15 rooms and a small bar to serve drinks and snack during he day no full blown meals. That way our visitors need to venture out for meal, helps restaurants and cab drivers. There can be a service desk to book tours and what not. Give these new hotels a years break on WAPA to get established or hell go solar. That's what STX could use.

there's a few of those out there, I know of at least one in F'sted & "the fred" will be a great addition as well.... though a bit more "resort" like according to the final plans.

F'sted is already very "alternative life style" friendly... IMO if the gov. was smart here they'd push that angle HARD and advertise in S.F., where ever the gay community picks to "make a spot" gets improved & successful.. (though maybe a bit of gentrification as well).

I think the Turtle Bay resort was supposed to be alternative friendly but didn't last long. Now there's a property ripe for small resort development. Palms hotel is also alternative friendly far as I know. That old ST C property would make a great small resort as it once was but would take a ton of money to get there. Well at least the VI Nice commercials are still playing.

$TT Bridge to "NOWHERE."
Decade$ later, nothing.
Let's see.. what's the major hotel on STX that's been decades in the making, what's the invasive grass graft that finally came to no fruition?

I can make a list of both our local and federal funds that have been wasted, stolen, embezzled, misused, mismanaged, wasted, misappropriated, misspent and it continues to be. You who have lived here, longtime, know this.

look how long it took for a 2 mile bypass

$TT Bridge to "NOWHERE."
Decade$ later, nothing.
Let's see.. what's the major hotel on STX that's been decades in the making

it's still there, they own what used to be called coconuts as well & are renovating from my understanding.

Plus "the fred" which actually has already been remodeled and is looking for major expansion.

I can make a list of both our local and federal funds that have been wasted, stolen, embezzled, misused, mismanaged, wasted, misappropriated, misspent and it continues to be. You who have lived here, longtime, know this.

that's why we need less government, FAR LESS.

Oh there it is, over there.....

New Hotel, Paving Of Roads And New Flights In The Works

What I want to know is what are we going to drive on in the downtown if they repurpose all the roads for something else?

"The contract will see the government repurposing all the streets of Christiansted, Mr. Mapp said."

Flights of fantasy aka Alternative Facts.

More like Fake News for sure, he is delusional.