Bryan signs amended agreement with VIGL for St. Croix racetrack reconstruction

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. signed an agreement with VIGL on Sept. 15, 2022, that the administration said cleared remaining obstacles for the company to begin reconstructing the Randall "Doc" James Racetrack on St. Croix.

Under the agreement, VIGL accepted a timeline of benchmarks for the St. Croix project and agreed to end its involvement in the rebuilding of the Clinton Phipps Racetrack on St. Thomas, which the government said would be managed solely by Southland Gaming.

Government House said the agreement resolved disputes tied to an earlier deal signed in October 2016 under former Gov. Kenneth Mapp and ratified by the 31st Legislature. According to the administration, that agreement faced appeals before the Coastal Zone Management Commission and the Board of Land Use Appeal, objections from the Federal Aviation Administration, a legal challenge by former St. Croix track leaseholder Traxco, and later litigation involving VIGL, Southland Gaming and the Virgin Islands government.

The administration said that litigation halted reconstruction of both racetracks after they were damaged in the 2017 hurricanes. In June 2021, the government said it settled the lawsuit by splitting the original contract into separate agreements for each track, and in March 2022 the 34th Legislature approved amended legislation for the projects.

Government House said the Sept. 15 agreement added required deadlines for VIGL and was intended to allow horse-racing projects in the territory to move forward.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-signs-agreement-with-vigl-that-clears-obstacles-to-move-st-croix-horse-racing-forward/