Dear Source:
I am writing regarding the downtown business district revitalization project. My wife and I come to St. Thomas every year in January for three weeks. Like many we came in the 90’s and fell in love with everything the territories have to offer. We consider ourselves a little more than your average tourist as we try and get involved in local activities and preservation. In fact on our recent trip we volunteered at the historic excavation site near Market Square and former St. Thomas Bank building. Also on our recent trip we were so delighted to see that Government monies have been allocated to pay for downtown revitalization. Burying utilities and planned improvements make perfect economic and aesthetic sense. Tourism is the bread and butter for the territories and St. Thomas has a one-time opportunity to get it right and catapult itself WAY ahead of other Caribbean destinations.
Recently we hired a roofer to come and replace a roof for us. Unfortunately we chose the lowest bidder and have been fighting with them for 8 months over fixing two leaks in the roof…the new roof! So we have incurred additional costs to drywall repair and the time delays are driving us crazy. Why am I telling you this? Because you should develop strict guidelines for whoever is awarded the contract and use someone who has a proven track record. Let’s be honest here…the Havensight road project proves that going with the lowest bidder might not be the best idea. But there is a big difference between these two projects. One project is located in the heart of your economic engine and if delayed it cripples you financially and could have lasting consequences. Let’s get it done fast and use a quality contractor and use performance guarantees in the contract. Thank you.
Patrick F. Galla, Louisville, Kentucky
