Jan. 24, 2006 — Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in downtown St. Thomas will be closed until renovations to the property are completed.
The renovations, estimated at a total cost of $450,000, will be funded in part by a $400,000 donation from Richard Driehaus Capital Management. At an event held at the park in December, James O'Bryan, St. Thomas administrator, said the donation is part of the company's EDC benefits package. The V.I. Energy Office of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources will also provide a $50,000 grant for improved lighting for the park.
According to a press release sent from the Office of the Governor, the first phase of the project began Tuesday. In addition to new lighting, this phase includes: the installation of plumbing for a new irrigation system, the building of new sidewalks and the enhancement of the veterans monument.
The park, a 237-year-old facility originally known as Coconut Square, has undergone a series of transitions as a result of hurricanes over the years, Myron Jackson, director of the State Office of Historic Preservation, said in the release.
Jackson added that the park was established in the mid-1760s during the reign of King Frederick V of Denmark and was intended to "herald the expansion of Charlotte Amalie, Kings Quarter." The park was named after former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, after his visit to the territory.
The project was designed and is being managed by Juridian Design Group. The contractor is Lubin Roberts Construction.
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