Nov. 9, 2001 – Wanted: a plan to revitalize downtown Christiansted and the area from the Water and Power Authority plant in Richmond to the Altona Lagoon.
By Wednesday.
That's the deadline for submitting proposals in the Christiansted Design Contest to the Christiansted Waterfront Revitalizaton Committee. The competition is open to urban planners and architects registered in the Virgin Islands.
The area that runs from the WAPA plant to the lagoon has been designated "an area of particular concern" by the Planning and Natural Resources Department, "and we need ideas on how to revitalize it economically," said Julita de Leon, an attorney with PNR's Coastal Zone Management Committee.
The community gets to cast its "people's choice" vote on Nov. 16, at Florence Williams Library in Christiansted, where the plans will be on exhibit between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Jurors will evaluate the entries on Nov. 17 at the Cormorant Beach Club, starting at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to join Revitalization Committee, Planning and Natural Resources Department and Public Finance Authority officials for the speeches and awards ceremony that will follow. The keynote speaker will be Bob Goodwin, a nationally known waterfront revitalization specialist who has worked in Glen Cove, N.Y., and extensively on the Pacific coast, de Leon said.
Serving as judges will be Goodwin; Claudette Lewis, PNR assistant commissioner; and Alan T. Shulman, an architect, University of Miami professor and co-author of "The Making of Miami Beach." The winner will receive $7,000, and two runners-up each will receive $1,500. The awards are being funded by the Public Finance Authority.
According to de Leon, at least 13 people have picked up packets with the competition specifications. The Revitalization Committee is seeking plans that respect the waterfront and its usage, are compatible with the surroundings and will revitalize Christiansted. Proposals are to provide for signage, displays or other means of interpreting the town's cultural heritage and natural values. The committee is working to coordinate efforts among the groups that are restoring and renovating buildings in Christiansted, de Leon said.
Those wishing to attend the awards ceremony are asked to call de Leon at 773-3320, ext. 5118, or Gerville Larsen at 779-3039.
