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As the territory continues to grapple with a housing crisis, St. Thomas native Ajani Corneiro is moving forward with plans for an 80-unit development in Estate St. Joseph and Rosendahl. The St. Thomas-based project, which is expected to undergo a public hearing on March 24, is aimed at increasing homeownership opportunities for middle-income residents in the territory, he said.

Corneiro, a civil engineer and the owner of A.C. Development, has spent years in the construction and real estate industries. A 2008 graduate of All Saints Cathedral School, he pursued a degree in civil engineering and built a career in project management and residential construction in Maryland and, in 2018, founded A.C. Development, focusing on housing projects and consulting.

The proposed development will sit on 11 acres of land and provide homeownership opportunities in a market where demand has long outpaced supply. The application for a Planned Area Development on two steeply sloping parcels on the island’s North Side overlooking Magens Bay, currently zoned R-2, or residential low density, would include 64 town houses — 28 units at 20-feet and 36 units at 24-feet — and 16 single-family detached homes for sale, according to documents submitted to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Comprehensive and Coastal Zone Planning.

“As a developer, location is everything,” Corneiro said in an interview with the Source. “We knew this site would be desirable and add value to the surrounding area.” The project is designed to cater specifically to first-time homebuyers, offering town houses rather than rental units.

Community Concerns and Environmental Considerations

Despite the demand for housing, Corneiro’s project has drawn some opposition from community members. “No one has reached out to me directly, but I’ve seen the conversations on social media,” he said. Some concerns include the project’s impact on the environment, while others have questioned whether the development is truly local. “I can say with full confidence — this is a project by Virgin Islanders, for Virgin Islanders.”

Corneiro said the project has undergone environmental, survey, and cultural resource studies to determine its feasibility. “We’ve worked in concert with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources for months to ensure everything is in compliance,” he said. The studies reviewed potential impacts on protected species, historical sites, and environmental factors such as streams and wetlands.

The project will also incorporate sustainable elements, including tree preservation and the use of native plant species. “We’re going beyond what’s required to ensure that we minimize our environmental footprint,” Corneiro said.

“The project will be the first community in the Caribbean to utilize Insulated Concrete Form technology, which Corneiro said can improve efficiency and durability. “ICF homes are faster to build, stronger, and more energy-efficient,” he said. Unlike traditional construction methods that rely on cinder blocks and poured concrete — widely used throughout the territory — ICF provides a dual-layer insulated structure that creates an airtight envelope, reducing energy costs for homeowners. Additionally, high-performance appliances and low-consumption fixtures will be standard in each unit.”

While the construction approach is designed to reduce costs, Corneiro acknowledged that development in the Virgin Islands presents logistic challenges. “Every piece of material has to be imported, which increases costs and complicates timelines,” he said. “We’re countering that by planning meticulously and reducing waste wherever possible.” He noted that supply chain issues and labor availability are ongoing hurdles for developers in the territory.

The Need for Public-Private Partnerships

While the company does not currently have a formal partnership with local government agencies like the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority, Corneiro said he has designed the project to align with the agency’s guidelines. “We’ve taken the initiative to ensure our housing product meets VIHFA’s requirements,” he said. “We want to work with any agency that’s committed to making homeownership more attainable.”

Corneiro emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing the housing crisis, noting that similar collaborations have been created in other sectors, such as infrastructure, health care, and education, but not at the same scale for housing. “We’ve created public-private partnerships for the airport, for hospitals, for schools, but when it comes to housing, we haven’t had the same level of coordination,” he said. “This is a problem that requires both public and private entities working together.”

He added that while his development is currently privately funded, collaboration with agencies like VIHFA could help make homeownership more accessible by connecting qualified buyers to the project. “Right now, we’re operating independently, using our own investment, but if we had the support of government agencies, we could move faster and scale up the impact,” he said. “There are programs in place that assist buyers, but they don’t always have available housing to purchase. We’re trying to bridge that gap.”

Corneiro is actively engaging with government agencies, including VIHFA, the Office of Disaster Recovery and the Economic Development Authority, to explore ways to align resources and policies. “We’re reaching out and starting conversations because we believe this project should serve as a model for how public and private entities can work together,” he said. “The government can’t do it all alone, and neither can private developers. We have to find a way to connect the dots.”

Next Steps and Future Outlook

The next step in the development process is the public hearing, where residents and stakeholders will have the opportunity to weigh in. If approved, the project will move into the zoning and permitting phase. Corneiro hopes to break ground later this year. “We want to be transparent throughout this process,” he said. “People deserve to know what’s happening in their community, and we’re here to answer any questions.”

As the territory continues to face an ongoing housing crisis, Corneiro’s project is one of several efforts aiming to address the issue. Whether the development moves forward as planned will depend on approvals in the coming months and the level of support from government agencies and the public. “We’ve already received a flood of inquiries from people asking how they can move in,” Corneiro said. “That tells us that there’s a real need for this kind of housing, and we’re working to fill that gap.”