Editor’s Note: This is the third part of a series concerning the future development of a resort at Caneel Bay.
Part I is available here.
Part 2 is available here.
The National Park Service has changed its plans to redevelop the resort at Caneel Bay.
The new plan defines additional financial requirements for potential developers but also provides them with much more leeway on how they may develop the property. The major changes are summarized in this chart: (Editor, please use Cane Cuttaz’ chart from Facebook here.)
Although the new plan is stirring up controversy on social media sites, so far community leaders have been moderate in their responses. The selection of a developer won’t be made for several more months, and it’s likely to be longer till the final plan is made public. No doubt those running for office will be called upon to make their stances known in the coming months.
Given the information available now, here are the responses from the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park and several candidates for office in the upcoming election.
Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park
“Friends of Virgin Islands National Park is a non-profit and the official philanthropic partner of Virgin Islands National Park. Since 1988, we have been working to assure our unique terrestrial and marine resources are protected, our Virgin Islands’ cultural treasures are preserved, and that visitors, youth, and community are connected to their Park through volunteerism and education.”
Note: Tonia Lovejoy, executive director of Friends VINP, asked the Source to use the following text from their website for this article. Additional comments will be included in another article in this series.
“Friends of Virgin Islands National Park believes deeply that the natural and cultural resources found in and around the Caneel Bay property should be protected and preserved so that future generations will come to know and love them as we do today.
“We believe management of Caneel Bay must embrace the role of caring steward of these lands and recognize that there are significant natural and cultural resources on this property that are wholly unique and not found anywhere else. Actions in support of this would include:
- Allowing for community access to the property and beaches as well as support of visitor outreach and education.
- Respect for, and preservation of, the important historic archaeology sites on the property. The stories that inform the place include Taino settlements from as early as 400BC, and the role of the Durloo Plantation and the battle at Turtle Point during the 1733 Akwamu Slave Rebellion.
- A commitment to environmental and conservation protections including the safeguarding of critical sea turtle nesting beaches, the caretaking of coral ecosystems that are home to uncommon corals like the Blue Crust Coral, the protection of the bird population that includes the rare Black Crowned Night Heron, the management of boat access in anchorless waters, and the safe removal of any contaminated materials that may be found on the site.
- An understanding that island resources and infrastructure are overburdened so any development needs to be self-sustaining including utilities, waste management, employee housing and parking.
Sen. Angel Bolques
Sen. Bolques, by law a St. John resident, currently serves as the Senator At Large in the Virgin Islands Legislature. He is running for reelection in November. In addition to giving comments on the new plan, he was asked to discuss whether the use of the property is still governed by provisions in Laurance Rockefeller’s gift of the property to the Virgin Islands National Park. The provisions of gift were specified in a Retained Use Estate, or RUE.
“Greetings Amy,
“Thank you for reaching out and for sharing both articles. I appreciate the work that you and Mat have been doing to keep the public informed about the future of Caneel Bay.
“For your reference, I have attached a letter that I recently sent to Superintendent Penelope Del Bene requesting clarification on several aspects of the current Request for Proposals. The questions outlined in the letter reflect many of the concerns raised with my office, and I believe it is important that the National Park Service provide clear answers before conclusions are drawn.
“At this point, I do not believe it would be appropriate for me to take a definitive position until I have had the opportunity to meet with Superintendent Del Bene and hear directly from the National Park Service regarding the rationale behind the apparent differences between the 2023 Environmental Assessment and the current RFQ. (sic Editor, it’s an RFP. Do you want to change that?)
“My goal is to understand whether these differences represent changes in policy, differences in procurement procedures, or some other consideration. I believe the public deserves a transparent explanation.
“Regarding the language in the former Retained Use Estate, I certainly believe it provides important historical context regarding Mr. Rockefeller’s vision for Caneel Bay. Whether it has continuing legal significance following the expiration of the RUE is ultimately a matter for legal analysis, so I would be cautious about drawing conclusions before those issues are fully examined.
“That said, if I learn that the changes reflected in the current RFQ are intended to be permanent and represent a departure from the redevelopment framework that was presented to the public during the Environmental Assessment process, particularly where those changes disregard the substantial public input that helped shape that process, I would be extremely disappointed. The people of the Virgin Islands invested significant time and effort in participating in that planning process, and their voices deserve to be respected.
“If, after receiving answers from the National Park Service, I conclude that there has been a material departure from those commitments without sufficient transparency or justification, I will not hesitate to elevate my concerns to the Department of the Interior and seek a full review of the process. Caneel Bay is one of the Virgin Islands’ most treasured natural, cultural, historical, and economic resources, and the redevelopment process must reflect both transparency and the public interest.
“Best regards,
Senator Angel L. Bolques Jr.
Senator At Large
36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands”
Hadiya Sewer
Hadiya Sewer, a business strategist and community leader from St. John, is also running for the Senator At Large seat in the Legislature in November. She moderated a panel discussion on Caneel Bay’s future in an early stage of the redevelopment planning process.
“Caneel Bay is an incredibly significant cultural, environmental, and economic asset in the Virgin Islands. Over the years, the people of St. John, the wider Virgin Islands, and visitors to the Virgin Islands have put forward ideas for Caneel Bay’s future. Among the common desires were restoring the resort, protecting its natural and National Park resources, respecting its history and character, creating opportunities for Virgin Islanders, and ensuring the redevelopment strengthens St. John.
“I believe strongly that its redevelopment should create lasting public value for the people of the Virgin Islands. While the federal government has provided opportunities for public input throughout this process, the ultimate decisions about Caneel Bay rest with federal authorities. Given the significance of this property to our community, Virgin Islanders should have a meaningful seat at the decision-making table.
“Redevelopment should honor what makes Caneel unique while ensuring it continues to serve the people of the Virgin Islands for generations to come.”
Stacey Plaskett
Stacey Plaskett, the current Delegate to Congress from the U.S. Virgin Islands, is running in the primary to become the Democratic Party’s candidate for governor of the USVI.
In the past several weeks, the Source reached out to her office three times to get her comments on Caneel Bay. She did not respond, but she did discuss the matter at a town meeting in Coral Bay on July 1.
Her answer includes her efforts in 2017 to assist Gary Engle, then the leaseholder of Caneel Bay Resort, to extend his lease following the resort’s destruction in the wake of Hurricane Irma. https://stthomassource.com/content/2018/10/19/topic-of-caneel-bay-generates-contention-at-st-john-town-hall/.
“You all know I tried to work with Gary Engle, who had run Caneel Bay, when I recognized that he was not being supportive of the issues and things that were of concern to the people of the Virgin Islands. I removed the bill that I had put forward, and (for) any contributions he had given in the past to my campaign I wrote him a check and told him I didn’t want to be associated with that. So you have to follow the will of the people.
“I recognize also that it’s the will of all the people,” Plaskett continued. There are special interest groups even here who try to sway things one way or another. It’s the job of public officials to really have those public discussions and allow multiple voices to be heard.”
During the meeting, an audience member asked Plaskett to comment on some of the new provisions in the 2026 Request for Proposals to redevelop Caneel Bay. “What is your office going to do about the fact that the new one has nothing to do with the previous one after years of communication with the community about what it wants? The whole peninsula will be locked off by a fence with no (public) access except by water.”
Plaskett said she did read the 2026 RFP and compared it to the 2023 RFQ, and told the audience member that she didn’t agree with her. “You and I can sit down and go through the RFP,” Plaskett said.
