Bryan toured Tutu Hi-Rise demolition site on St. Thomas

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. visited the condemned Tutu Hi-Rise buildings on St. Thomas during the weekend of October 24-25, 2020, for an update on demolition work that had begun about two weeks earlier.

The Virgin Islands Police Department swept the abandoned buildings on October 16, 2020, to confirm they were empty and ready for demolition. Contractors had cleared the surrounding lots and began preparing the structures by securing plastic sheeting around the exterior to reduce dust and debris.

Government House said workers were expected to begin installing 6-foot cyclone fencing around the site later that week. The site also was to have 24-hour security, and police were scheduled to conduct another sweep.

The Virgin Islands Housing Authority, which was overseeing the project, said the first phase of demolition had been awarded to RG Engineering Inc. for $2,969,013. That phase covered Buildings 10, 11, 12, 14 and 22, totaling 96 units that the Federal Emergency Management Agency determined were among those hardest hit in the 2017 hurricanes and posed the highest structural risk.

The Housing Authority received a notice to proceed on October 19, 2020, with Phase 1 scheduled for completion by May 17, 2021. Demolition was set to begin at Building 14 and move toward Building 10, with crews scheduled to work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Housing Authority Executive Director Robert Graham said the replacement development was planned as a low-rise, low-density community with 84 units.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-visits-tutu-hi-rise-for-an-update-on-demolition-progress/