The Governor Pulled the Plug on Lindbergh Spoils

There was a press release yesterday.
Here is the link Governor Press Release

GOVERNOR DEJONGH: Good morning. Thank you for coming.

I’m joined this morning by Commissioner Beverly Nicolson-Doty of the Department of Tourism, Mr. Edward Thomas, CEO and Chair of West Indian Company, Mr. Cassan Pancham, the Chair of Virgin Islands Port Authority and Mr. Ken Hobson, the Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Port Authority.

The cruise industry is an important component of our tourism product and accounts for over 2 million of our guests annually, ensuring employment for a wide range of Virgin Islanders; ranging from small vendors, to retail store workers, taxi & tour operators, it is in essence which drives much of our economy.

The Caribbean remains the most popular of destinations and in this eastern Caribbean region, St. Thomas is the destination of choice and over the last year, we have been able to market the potential of St. Croix to increase the actual cruise calls and generate interest as a port to explore. In these economic times, it has been a source of constant traffic and consistent traffic for us.

As we maintain the interest of our destination and respond to the requests of the cruise lines, it is also one that requires a balance between environmental considerations and protection and development; a balance that I am extremely sensitive to. It requires that decisions be made that are in the collective good of the community, while ensuring that growth opportunities can be realized and options maintained.

On January 9th, the West Indian Company and the Virgin Islands Port Authority filed a joint application for dredging in certain parts of the port of Charlotte Amalie and approval to place the dredged material in the historic dredge hole at Lindberg Bay created in 1935. This filing was to be able to accommodate the new genesis class ship of Royal Caribbean cruise ships, the Oasis of the Seas with a first call in December of 2009. And the selection of the West Indian Company Dock and Havensight Mall as one of the few Caribbean locations selected.

The project obtained the required local approvals and currently awaits approval of a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. There have been numerous meetings with Army Corps officials to explain the entire project in the detail required for such a large undertaking.

As this process has proceeded, and mindful of the community’s concerns on the placement of the dredged spoils, yet the desire to ensure that Royal Caribbean maintains St Thomas as port of call for the Oasis, I had instructed the team to develop options in the event a change in course was required.

While we are fairly certain that after various filings with the Army Corps of Engineers and adherence to their internal processes, that a permit will be issued; I am mindful of the community’s concerns for the portion of the project that calls for the placement to the dredged spoils in Lindbergh Bay. Therefore, I have decided that a change in our course is required.

Today, we are pleased to announce that after negotiations with the cruise lines that have contractual agreements with the Port Authority at Crown Bay, an agreement has been reached with Royal Caribbean to utilize Crown Bay for the Oasis of the Seas’ calls for the coming 2009-2010 season.

Crown Bay is an interim solution and quite frankly, it is not the ideal with respect to passenger experience – there will be issues of security screening, transportation, an economic impact on passenger spending. However, it does ensure that the destination is able to keep the Oasis of the Seas as a port of call.

WICO and the Havensight Mall continues to be the place of preference for the Genesis Class ships such as the Oasis of the Seas given the optimum passenger experience, opportunities for on-island spending, the connection to the Havensight facility and the transportation infrastructure that is already in place.

The agreement with Royal Caribbean and the accommodation that Virgin Islands Port Authority has been able to negotiate with the other lines, provides the benefit of additional time to complete Port of the Charlotte Amalie’s dredging project in a way that addresses the concerns that have been expressed by many residents over the proposed location for the deposit of the dredged material.

I have directed the West Indian Company and the Port Authority to eliminate Lindbergh Bay as an option for the deposit of the dredged material and explore alternate sites that can be utilized for this purpose while adhering to this new timetable as well as cost and environmental considerations.

I have conveyed these decisions to Royal Caribbean and this is the approach that will now be followed in handling the Oasis of the Seas with an interim solution and a long term solution that is in the best interest of the destination and the experience we want passengers to have when they come to St. Thomas.

I would like to personally thank the Senate for its approval of the project for this is what has enabled us to maintain the commitment of Royal Caribbean to our market having the certainty that the dredging could take place. I also would like to thank the Board and staff of both WICO and Port Authority for the work and commitment that they exhibited in being responsive and ensure that the Virgin Islands remains competitive in a very competitive environment. And they have done so in a manner that is respectful of our home and community concerns.