Mar. 13, 2004– "Welcome to our neighborhood…. I am glad that you are my neighbor," said West Indian Co. President Edward Thomas to Yacht Haven's new owners Andrew Farkas and Elie Finegold of IN-USVI Island Capital.
It seemed as if the whole community turned out Saturday morning to greet the new Yacht Haven, as an enormous yellow backhoe, bedecked in white balloons, took the first bite of the old Yacht Haven.
After welcoming Farkas and Finegold to the island, Thomas reminisced about their mutual journey over the past couple years. He also had other memories, some stretching back 37 years ago. "Special memories," Thomas said, "when I was courting my wife, this was one of the 'in' places for dinner, dancing, and fashion shows."
Smiling ear to ear, Finegold played the part of gracious host. He praised the community, the help IN-USVI has received from all sectors, and Farkas, whom he described as "the man behind the dream, at the core of everything, whose passion and love have brought this about."
Just the fact that the Yacht Haven project was finally moving forward was a cause for celebration for many in Saturday's crowd.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull recalled that the project's prospects had not always been as sunny as this bright Saturday morning. "There were days when there were dark clouds, and it seemed like this project would be dead. But they stayed and worked things out. I want to thank everybody, even those who objected, who I see here today, because that's democracy. God bless everybody."
Turnbull referred to the months-long legal battle last year between IN-USVI and the Save Long Bay Coalition over IN-USVI's Coastal Zone Management permit for the redevelopment. Last November the two parties settled their differences out of court.
Helen Gjessing, SLBC president, was in the audience. Gjessing said later, "I am happy to see something moving, getting the eyesore out. And I will be so happy to see yachts in the harbor again."
Farkas talked about the cruise industry and his plans for the "single, largest megayacht basin in the world … a marquee for the Virgin Islands." He said the old marina 11 years ago brought in $100 million in economic activity to the territory. "The new one will bring $300 million," he said. "There are 500 boats of more than 80 feet being built each year. That exceeds the total number of boats that size in 1992."
The planned 160-slip marina will be capable of berthing boats well over 400 feet. A two-story signature restaurant will sit at the center of the marina on a pier extending more than 200 feet into the harbor, the developers say.
As the Rising Stars Steele Orchestra played in the background, folks shared memories, perhaps spurred on by Thomas' recollection of courting his wife. Attorney General Iver Stridiron recalled dinners, dances to the music of Sammy Watts and walks along the beach. He was reluctant to detail any escapades of his salad days, but he did say he was looking forward to the new riverwalk planned in the new marina.
Rudy Krigger had no trouble recalling his childhood in the area before the first Yacht Haven Hotel was even built. Smiling, he said, "We used to come here to go swimming. We would swim from the dock to the Pontoon, an old barge, and we'd dive off. Across the street, it was all swamp then. And there was an Army camp here, Camp Howard.
Austin "Babe" Monsanto was another one who swam out to the Pontoon. "We had a great time. The water out there was very, very deep, and we'd dive off of the barge. And when I got home, I'd get a good spanking."
Beverly and Elton Chongasing also had memories, though of a more recent time. "This was the place to be, everyone came here," Elton said. "And the music … we'd dance to Frankie Jarvis," Beverly said.
Housing, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ira Hobson remembered being a cashier at the old hotel. "When I was going to UVI," he said, "I loved the buffet, and they used to let us swim in the pool when we had lunch and wouldn't run us off."
Elmo Roebuck recalled his campaigning days. "I used to love to come out here to dance, but I did a lot of my campaigning here too, when I was in the Senate. And Gov. King and Juan Luis and I used to come out here where we could talk, where it was private and quiet."
Gjessing recalled playing tennis years ago. "One of the nice things then, there was always a court. The racetrack was in Estate Thomas then, and they would bring the horses down and let them swim in the seawater."
Erva Denham remembered the domino games. "Of course," said Denham, "the beach was much closer to the road then, it was truly a beach. And under the almond trees, there was almost always a domino game." Denham lived on St. John but went to school on St. Thomas.
"And there were the fishermen at one end of the beach, and there was a little beach shack where you could eat, it had character. And at night you could walk down the beach. Once it was filled, all that was gone forever. I always feel they stole my beach," Denham said.
Thinking it over, she added, "But by the same token, this is something that needs to happen. I think we are all going to win something."
Denham's feelings seemed to be the prevailing sentiment. More than that, people were expressing joy at the prospect of a revitalized harbor. "Something we can be proud of," said Collette Monroe, who had fond memories of running her golf cart down the docks in the late '70s, provisioning charter yachts.
"We lived on a boat here, and this is where my husband proposed to me," she said.
Coming out of the woodwork for the event were quite a few former senators. Anne Golden and Bent Lawaetz of St. Croix were mingling among Donald "Ducks" Cole and George Goodwin. "Dowe [Sen. Carlton Dowe] and I were here from the first," said Cole. "We sat down with them at the very beginning to work things out."
Several members of the 25th Legislature also attended the event, including Senate President David Jones, looking far more relaxed than he had been at Thursday's full session. Jones gave remarks from the Senate before taking part in a silver shovel ceremony with Turnbull, Thomas and the project's developers.
During Saturday's ceremony, Finegold said he was looking forward to an afternoon event. "Shortly after the dust settles from the morning, we will finally be able to give the kids the party we promised so long ago."
He was referring to all the youngsters from youth groups who participated in the paint-a-thon held last summer to cover the wall erected to cut off the work site from the street. "Their party was put on hold until the legal issues were settled," Finegold said.
And it should be well worth the wait. Finegold said the youngsters would be treated to a "real Cajun barbecue by the Louisianan chef from the Harbor Club."
Returning to the project at hand, Finegold said the demolition project will take about five months, after which phase I in the building will begin. (See "Yacht Haven demolition won't be booming event".)
"Although we're relatively new to the territory, we have been welcomed warmly by this community, care deeply about it, and hope to be investing, working and living here for many years to come," Finegold said.
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