The St. Croix Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Committee approved two proposals during a decision meeting on Tuesday: one from the Department of Agriculture (D.O.A.) and another from the Department of Public Works (DPW).

The D.O.A. sought approval to construct a two-story administrative building on Plot #1 Estate Lower Love in Kingshill, replacing a hurricane-damaged structure that had been demolished. Jeffrey Boschulte, the project architect representing the D.O.A., stated that the new building would improve public services, staff morale, and serve as an educational facility for visiting students.

The building’s design includes two water retention ponds to hold water diverted from the site’s paved parking area. These ponds will help manage excess water during floods, according to Boschulte. D.O.A. Commissioner Positive Nelson stated that the decision to store the water for reuse would involve more than just his department’s authority.

The DPW sought CZM permission to demolish its main office building and equipment storage bays, replacing them with new office facilities and a heavy equipment storage shed. An existing warehouse on the property will be retrofitted to comply with the 2021 International Building Code. The entire property will be enclosed with an architectural security fence, and three small utility structures will be demolished.

DPW’s Chief Engineer Tawana Nicholas explained that the project aims to reestablish the department’s presence in Frederiksted to better serve the needs of people on the west side of St. Croix. Managing Principal of Design District PLLC Clarence Brown described the proposal as a disaster recovery project and expressed confidence that all possible concerns have been preemptively addressed. He added that the structure and the entire site would see significant improvements.