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VIPA Property Repairs from 2017 Storm Damage Nearly Completed

Workers repair the roof of the Cyril E. King Airport. (VIPA photo)
Workers repair the roof of the Cyril E. King Airport in 2018. (VIPA photo)

Repairs to V.I. Port Authority property caused by the 2017 hurricanes is scheduled to be completed in February, the VIPA board of directors learned at a Monday meeting.

Representatives of Lemartec, the construction management firm in charge of the Port Authority’s many projects in the wake of hurricanes Irma and Maria, provided the update in front of the board on St. Thomas while some members tuned in via video conference on St. Croix.

Delays in roof repairs and the relocation of Transportation Security equipment at the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas left the board frustrated at an August meeting. Due to various setbacks, that included some of their members contracting COVID-19, Lemartec was not able to return to the islands until December.

The subcontracting company then went full speed ahead in the completion, and on Monday told the board they expect to wrap up by February.

“On St. Croix, we are looking forward to closing a lot of the jobs. A great deal of work has been done to address the roof at the airport. We are waiting on the next big rain to do a test. Thus far, we are really positive with the conditions,” a Lemartec representative told the board.

Other repairs completed at St. Croix’s Henry E. Rohlsen Airport include completion of air-conditioning repairs, mold remediation and addressing other items that were not initially on their punch list but arose while repairs were being conducted.

“We were doing punch list items on the ceiling and a separate piece of air-conditioning work came to light. That work is currently being done. By the end of next week, the work that was outside of our scope will be completed,” Lemartec’s representative said.

At the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas, the metal roofing and the flat roof has been repaired as well as exterior lighting. On the interior, air-conditioning insulation has been replaced, repairs of ceiling tiles, installation of new LED lights and mold remediation has been completed. Other repairs include constructing the new employee locker room and restrooms, restroom renovation, training room revamp and relocating an old training room.

Lemartec’s representatives also said interior work on St. Thomas, Crown Bay Building D has been completed and the roof was replaced. Lemartec will now proceed to Crown Bay Building H. The CEKA purchasing building is expected to be completed by the end of this month. VIPA administration building renovations have been completed and the building is ready for occupancy.

On St. John, the St. John Customs and Border Protection building has been completed.

Other updates presented during the meeting include:

– The 33rd Legislature of the Virgin Islands appropriated $900,000 from the St. John Capital Improvement Fund to VIPA for improvements to the Lorence Boynes Sr. Ferry Terminal in Cruz Bay.

– Another $1.6 million from the St. Croix Improvement Fund was appropriated to VIPA for improvements at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport.

– Miami to St. Thomas’s inaugural flight date for Frontier Airlines is set for February.

The board then went into an executive session.

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