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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsLocal newsPort Authority OKs Contracts at Piers, Airports

Port Authority OKs Contracts at Piers, Airports

The St. Thomas airport as seen from the sky. (Photo from Port Authority agenda)

On Wednesday the V.I. Port Authority Board of Governors approved several construction contracts, a policy change for technology employees, a grant to the Cricket Association, and matters concerning leases.

The Board awarded Tech 1 Communications a contract for $96,495 to purchase and install security cameras at the Wilfred “Bomba” Allick Port.

Willard John, chairman of the Projects and Operations Committee, said, “We all know we need cameras there.”

A background report submitted to the Board said the Port Authority “is making significant improvements to the container port that will house VIPA’s Marine office and other tenants upon completion.”

The project is to be completed next month and before the facility operates, the Authority is required by maritime rules and regulations to implement security measures.

The board also OK’d a contract for TMZ Construction of $265,075 for blowout panels at Anne Abramson Marine Facility on St. Croix. The panels relieve the pressure in specific areas by allowing the seawater from large swells to pass through these openings. It helps to avoid severe damage to the underside of the dock. During storms or hurricanes, these panels are removed to allow the waves to crash freely.

The St. Croix airport from the sky. (Photo from Port Authority agenda)

Continental Construction and Engineering was contracted to provide services for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning abatement services at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix. The contract is not to exceed $117,791. The cleaning of the HVAC system will take place on the first and second floors of the terminal. All active HVAC supply ducts will be cleaned. The project is to improve indoor air quality by removing any airborne threats/diseases present.

A Benton Construction change order request for $74,998 for replacement of materials in the terminal expansion project at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport was also approved.

In November, owing to unforeseeable conditions, the chiller and the existing air handler unit piping needed corrections to ensure that the system was functional.

Carmen Hedrington had her lease renewed for three years for space to sell souvenirs and operate a bar called Dock’quiri Tings. The space is in the Authority’s building adjacent to the Urman Victor Fredericks Marine Terminal in Red Hook. The rent is $788 a month plus 15 percent of her annual gross receipts. In the request for renewal, the owner said the spot offers people waiting for the ferry a pleasant place to wait.

Tropical Bliss Spa & Beauty Bar, which leases property from the Authority at Crown Bay, received permission from the Authority to make First Bank the priority lien holder on the business. The business has a five-year lease from the Authority and pays $2,750 per month.

The Board authorized Executive Director Carlton Dowe to award the Sports and Recreation Department $50,000 to give to the Virgin Islands Cricket Association.

In Dowe’s written report, he wrote, “The cruise industry is on a pace to recovery; hence, we will be seeing more port calls which is good for the authority and the territory.” Verbally he told the board that 60 percent of the cruise passengers stay on the ship when it calls at a port. He added, “We must create for them something that makes them want to disembark.”

The policy the board adopted mandated employee internet behavior to keep the Port Authority system secure.

Attending the meeting were members Derek Gabriel, Kevin Rodriquez, Willard John, Denise George, Lionel Jacobs, and Celestino White Sr. Absent were Joseph Boschulte, and Leona Smith.

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