Amalago Bay?
Well, I’ve been here for over 14 years and I’ve never heard of it. Can the William and Punch partners rename this place, or is that really the name of the area between Rainbow Beach and the Sunset Grill at Sprat Hall?
Anyway, I’m finally getting around to posting my opinion about this west end project. I know people have been at the edge of their seats waiting for “the Bitch review”.
Actually, I have little negative to say about this project. It does make me very suspicious, since partner Kevin Rames was once Paul Golden’s attorney, and the “Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation” is, according to Jeff Benedict in his book, Without Reservation, a phony entity. But I do agree that St. Croix needs something.
Another casino/resort/golf course/ timeshare development in an historical and ecologically sensitive area would not be my first choice, though. But this spot is much less environmentally sensitive than the Great Pond, even though the snorkeling north of Sunset Grill is lovely.
A question posed to me by an attorney involves the “Tribal Nation’s” sovereign immunity from lawsuits on their property. This is being tested in Connecticut, where the Pequots run the most successful casino in America. Some women who were playing cards at a table were spoken about very disrespectfully, in another language, by two male casino employees. The women are suing the tribe.
My attorney friend wondered if they and/or their local employees would be able to get away with such behavior without repercussions because they are owners of this property. We also wonder about what the other partners will be able to get away with if “sovereign immunity” holds here. We know how lawyers love to test cases like that.
Another thing that we wonder about is their insistence on using WAPA (the VI Water and Power Authority) as their utility. Seems like a no-brainer that developers considering a project of this magnitude would use renewable technologies and their own power plant. This huge endeavor pulling power from WAPA would stress our already broken electrical utility. Thank goodness we’re already almost off the grid.
And as I mentioned in the post about the public hearing, at one point, the power went out as thunder crashed and lightning flashed. Michael said to one of the guys, “Are you sure you want to use WAPA?”
If that didn’t make them change their minds, I’d just say, they’re just plain stupid, and if they’re going to be stupid in this important situation, I have doubts about the viability of the rest of the project.
Again, St. Croix needs something.
I wish CHANT would come up with a marketing plan to get the word out the St. Croix is a great nature tourism destination, and let us know how we can help implement it. Because the other ideas people seem to have about humogous resorts don’t make a lot of sense to me.
November 20th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
As a West Ender at heart, I hate to see this area changed into a huge tourist complex, but will swallow the bitter pill as I know jobs are needed on St. Croix and in particular the F’sted area. I still believe small is better for small islands, but a small resort is not going to be the cash cow that a developer with big bucks wants. Terry, I believe that it is only tribal lands that have the immunity the Pequots use in their defense. Once they are off the reservation, all bets (no pun intended) are off! my other question is, how will the rooms be filled with tourists when St. Croix has only a few large jets landing at the airport? I hope they have some pull with AA or Delta, or some other airline. Has this issue been addressed?
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:45 am
This has not really been addressed Trudi. Everyone seems to accept the “if you build it, they will come” maxim. They apply this to the airlift, the hoped-for tourist influx, and the “qualified” staff they’re allegedly making jobs for. We constantly have people on the jobless lists, yet the few small resorts we do have are also constantly looking for staff. Month after month the paper is filled with job listings for nearly every position at the Buccaneer, Carambola, Divi. Divi has had to ask the Casino Control Commission to relax the hiring rules for casinos, both the age and residency requirements because they can’t fill all they’re vacancies. Ergo, we don’t necessarily need 700-1500 new resort job vacancies, we need to re-train the jobless to fill the positions we have. But the standard answer from all resort developers is, that’s the “brand’s” job, they’ll train the people they need. We’ll see. I think, once one of these big resorts finally gets built, we’ll have an influx of new immigrants from down island, who actually want to work resort jobs, and the Dept. of Labor’s rolls of jobless will remain virtually the same.
The immunity question for the Pequots is not so simple. When this tribe was “re-established” their “reservation” was an uninhabited tract of forest of about 200 acres. It basically served as a Connecticut park. But when they returned, some legal wrangling allowed them to add new purchased land to the “tribal lands”. Its unclear how far they will try to take this immunity thing.
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:29 pm
That will be an interesting question when/if a damage suit is filed (and you know it will happen, after all the VI is the damages suit capital of the world!).
December 6th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation does not have a direct presence in the Virgin Islands. The developer is William & Punch, LLC, a U.S. Virgin Islands limited liability company. WAPA needs the funds generated by selling water and power to the Resort, and the Wste Management Authority needs the sewage fees. They have informed is that the projected fees will allow them to issue targeted bond offerings to improve their service. The Resort will have backup power, and will access the KingsHill Acquifer to the extent allowed by DPNR for backup water supply. There will be a 21 day reserve of potable water onsite. Trudi, do you remember when the flights used to hop from St. Thomas to St. Croix before returning to the states? The combination of “butts in seats” and cheaper fuel makes this an attractive prospect for all airlines serving St. Thomas.
I have strongly expressed opinions about what St. Croix needs. There are thousands of young men and women who are undereducated and underemployed on St. Croix. The vast majority of the jobs at the Resort do not require highly educated persons. Winston Hodge and Albert sheen taught me that this is the way to deliver the most to the many. Please help me.
December 8th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Hey Kevin, thanks for commenting.
I have serious doubts that WAPA and the Waste Money Authority will use monies received from your project to make any positive changes in their services to the people.
But my jaded opinion is only based on having lived here and having continuously tried to run a very small business (as a “non-connected” person) here for many years watching the crap that goes on in government and quasi-government agencies day after day, and year after year….
You say, “There are thousands of young men and women who are undereducated and underemployed on St. Croix. The vast majority of the jobs at the Resort do not require highly educated persons.”
I say, not only are too many people undereducated, they are undermotivated. They don’t CARE about actually WORKING, they just want to get a pay check. Hell, they don’t even want to have to SHOW UP for work. There are ALWAYS resort jobs listed in the papers. Why?
And what makes you think Crucians are going to want to work for “Pequots”?
I think your project will cause another influx of down-islanders or maybe Santo Domingans or Haitians.
I don’t know Winston Hodge or Albert Sheen, so I can’t comment on your last statement.
It would just be really nice if people like you and Paul Golden and the Annaly Bay people would try something new and different. Something that would benefit all by benefiting the planet first. Think outside the box dude.
You and your partners actually have money that could help save this little part of planet Earth. You have a chance to do something TRULY exciting, something TOTALLY different, but you choose to use the same old spiel we’ve been hearing for years, and do the same old crap.
Is there any point in even trying to discuss the state of the environment with people like you?
Maybe. I remember a few years back when you were working for Golden and you mocked people in the audience for discussing things like historical ruins, yet I’ve seen you on ruins rambles with the Landmarks Society since then. But I can’t be sure of your motivation for that.
(I also remember going to a meditation workshop that you attended. Something you said at the beginning of the week-end was null and void by the end.)
I could start by asking whether or not you care that your children will inherit an overused and depleted planet? Or will the fact that you will leave them “wealthy” from monetary inheritance ensure that they never have to be affected? They’ll always be able to buy a better living situation….
December 9th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I don’t know why you all are fretting about a project that will never come to fruition. We are in a RECESSION. Why would anyone want to come to a 5-star resort at this time? Now is not the time to flaunt one’s wealth, for the few who still have it.
Examples of the recession’s effect on luxury resorts in the Caribbean:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/13/business/CB-Bahamas-Meltdown-Atlantis.php
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081202/wyndham-resort-lays-off-200-workers-in-puerto-rico_all.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-11-24-caribbean-ghost-resorts_N.htm
Mr. Rames, do you think these “thousands of young men and women who are undereducated and underemployed on St. Croix” want to be earning minimum wage by shucking and jiving for a bunch of rich bigots who under-appreciate the island? We all know the managerial positions will be continentals (whites). The only one on this island who is really going to make any money from this project is you and your affiliates. Give me a break, you’re doing this for the thousands of undereducated/etc/etc? Wouldn’t your money be better spent helping these undereducated people get an education through scholarships? Or get off drugs in rehab, which happens to be very expensive for most people? Or funding a GED class or a trade school in connection with the Golden Grove Correctional Facility?
This project is all about money and it’s not going to trickle down. The Reaganomics trickle-down theory never worked, remember?
The devastating effect that this project is going to have on the environment would be enormous. This land is beautiful the way it is. The beauty of St. Croix lies in its quaintness. Once that’s taken away, it can never be retrieved again. We don’t need another St. Thomas. Development and progress are not synonymous.
Remember, I predicted it and I will repeat it again. Mark my words: THIS PROJECT WILL NEVER COME TO FRUITION.
January 15th, 2009 at 9:49 am
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February 21st, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Simon, Its ignorance like this that has St. Croix like it is today, OVerlooked!! Even by the local government. A Step Island. You may well think this project will never happen, but I sure hope it does. Hospitality and Tourism are St. Croix’s only hope for financial stability. What would you rather see, another oil refinery? THats great for the environment. And for the record, St. Thomas and St. John are great examples of the employment opportunities hospitality provides. I bet no jobs at this resort would start as low as minimum wage, and hotels are a great way to earn an honest living. The opportunity to progress to top management exists in hotels regardless of your background, and if you knew anything about your local hoteliers (managers), you would know a great deal of them are Crucian. You sound like an old broken record, “all the good jobs are going to the white folks” Wake up!!, its 2009.
April 2nd, 2009 at 11:21 am
For the life of me I can’t understand why the stinking Sandy Point salt pond is still not opened to the sea. Bob Merwind has tried for years to get a marina project in this location. The salt pond could be a huge breeding area for saltwater fish and crustations. A marina would provide jobs. Instead all you have is a maloderous body of stagnant water providing nothing. Now the Crucian Royalty want a huge resort that has the worst designed marina I’ve ever seen (open roadsted). The living reef in that location will have to be destroyed. At the salt pond all they have to do is remove dead coral and sand, duh.
“the cruzian is an educated mon, he no climb the coconut tree…he know gravity” Good luck finding hard workers on island, think down island.