The planners of the first theme park on St. Thomas have applied for a Coastal Zone Management permit to proceed with developing the "Carifest" Caribbean cultural entertainment facility just east of the West Indian Co. dock. And they hope to break ground this fall, with completion targeted for late 2001 or early 2002.
Carifest submitted the CZM major permit application to the Planning and Natural Resources Department "upon completion of the project's concept design phase," Carifest Corp. chair Leo Barbel Jr. said in a press release.
Barbel emphasized that the developers "are not interested in filling any portion of the adjacent harbor as a landfill extension," and that "no such request was made in our CZM permit application."
Carifest president Eric Matthews said the family-oriented theme park project, nearly a decade in the planning, "will create over 200 jobs during the 12- to 14-month construction period and over 400 jobs once the park is opened." He described the timeline and employment projections as "especially relevant considering the present financial constraints of the government."
In fact, Matthews said, "To us, Carifest is a model development in light of the governor's five-year economic recovery plan — a plan that suggests that the public and private sectors must work closer together as partners" to stimulate economic growth.
Twelve weeks of concept design work preceded the submission of the CZM permit application, Barbel said. Taking the lead in the work were Morris Architects of Orlando, Fla., and designer Tom Reidenbach of TRA Inc., he said, with local input from Robert deJongh on architectural design, William F. McComb on engineering and Brian Moseley on surveying.
The next step, Barbel said, is a nine-week "schematic design process." After that, he said, the project "will be positioned to receive its final construction financing." Carifest Corp. is locally owned, and most of its startup development capital has come from a cross-section of local investors, the release stated.
According to Matthews, the Carifest site is zoned W-1, for waterfront recreation, "and is a perfect fit for the project." He described the concept for the theme park as "a celebration and permanent festival of Caribbean heritage that will serve as a livng tribute to the people and islands of the West Indies."
It will "fill a void in the tourism picture" locally for those visitors in search of more than sun, sand, sea and shopping, he said, and will appeal to residents "seeking more creative venues to express their Caribbean heritage."
The projected employment of 400 encompasses about 300 full-time and 100 part-time positions, Matthews said. The company expects University of the Virgin Islands and high school students and young adults to hold about three-fourths of the jobs.
