Aug. 4, 2008 — There's still no action on the two marinas planned for Coral Bay.
Coral Bay Marina is at a crossroads when it comes to plans for the 116-slip marina, principal Robert O'Connor Jr. said. He and the other owners are trying to decide whether to go ahead with the marina permitted under the Coastal Zone Management program or make it smaller. (See "Coral Bay Marina Gets Okay — With Conditions.")
"We'd downsize some of the buildings," he said.
The changes in St. John's economy could lead to downsizing. The island now has lots of vacant commercial space so it wouldn't be prudent to build more, O'Connor said.
If the owners choose to downsize, they are looking into whether it would be cheaper to modify the existing permit or apply for a new one, he said.
In addition to O'Connor, Eglah Marsh Clendinen and Minerva Marsh Vasquez are the principals in the project. All are St. John natives.
The marina is slated to go up on Marsh family waterfront property where Island Blues bar and restaurant now sits. Additionally, stores and offices will be built on property located across Route 107.
The facility was slated to include a portable pump-out station, a wastewater-treatment facility, a reverse-osmosis plant, a laundromat, a repair shop, showers and two employee apartments.
The second planned marina, to be built by T-Rex St. John, sits in the heart of Coral Bay on property owned by the Moravian Church but leased to T-Rex. (See "Marina Development on Tap for Moravian Church Property?")
The developers have been asked to delay working on the project while Planning sorts out how Coral Bay should develop, said St. Thomas Attorney David Bornn, who represents T-Rex.
"We've been asked to just hold," he said.
Not so, Planning spokesman Jamal Nielsen said. He said Planning hasn't asked T-Rex to hold on anything.
While the T-Rex developers held a series of pre-application meetings, they never formally applied for a Coastal Zone Management permit, Nielsen said.
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