On Thursday, the V.I. Port Authority Governing Board approved millions of dollars for work at the territory airports and voted to keep Willard John as chair.
The work approved included $3.6 million for an aviation master plan. This project involves the Federal Aviation Administration and will utilize Airport Improvement Program Grant funds to conduct work at both airports and assess the potential future needs of both seaplane bases in the territory.
According to the staff report, VIPA has been working on Phase I of the plan since May 2023 and is preparing to move into the second phase.
Ricondo, the authority’s aviation planning consultant, will do the work. It will be funded 90 percent federally.
The governing board also accepted a $4.6 million proposal from Island Roads Corporation for selective slab replacement of the commercial apron at the Cyril E. King Airport. This project will be funded from the FAA Grant Funds with a 10 percent match by the Port Authority.
All the work being approved Thursday was not for the airport. Moffatt & Nichol received a contract for $131,350 related to the Red Hook Customs Building design update project.
Moffatt & Nichol was also granted a job not to exceed $441,550 to design and construct a warehouse for the Education Department. This fulfills an obligation the authority had as part of transferring the former Addelita Cancryn Junior High School Campus property from the Property and Procurement Department to the authority.
The engineering firm Stantec received approval for three projects from the board. One is for $719,900 for geotechnical investigation related to projects at the St. Croix airport, and another is for $609,850 for design and permitting services related to environmental mitigation for airfield drainage and conveyance upgrades at the St. Thomas airport. The staff reported that this project deals with the wetland on the north side of the runway. It would address the wildlife hazard by removing the wetland and creating a tidewater protection area.
In the third contract, Stantec is not to exceed $893,100 for design and permitting services related to a new aircraft rescue and firefighting station to be reconstructed in the existing structure’s location. The programming and schematic design were completed in December 2024, and the next steps are to finish the design so that funding can be arranged for the construction of the new station.
The board members attending the meeting were Joseph Boschulte, Derek Gabriel, Willard John, Gordon Rhea, Kevin Rodriquez, Leona Smith, and Celestino White Sr.
