Federal agency seeks public comment about leaks at refinery

From the AP:

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP) _ Federal authorities are seeking comment from U.S. Virgin Islands residents about groundwater cleanup and modifications to waste treatment operations at the Western Hemisphere's second-largest oil refinery.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials joined representatives from Hovensa's refinery to pursue feedback on efforts to recover about a million gallons of oil spilled on the 1,500-acre refinery property in the 1980s.

The comment period ends April 26 regarding the ongoing cleanup and possible EPA permit changes at the giant Hovensa refinery on the south coast of St. Croix, where smokestacks stand adjacent to coral reefs and wildlife refuges.

Since recovery and treatment wells began operating in 1987, roughly 42 million gallons of petroleum waste has been reclaimed from the onsite groundwater at the refinery site, the EPA said in a statement.

While leaky sewer lines and tanks responsible for the property's pollution were repaired long ago, the federal agency says an estimated 1.2 million gallons of spilled oil still remains.

Hovensa, owned by New York-based Hess Corp. and Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the national oil company of Venezuela, is the largest private employer in the U.S. Virgin Islands. A spokesman for the company could not immediately be reached for comment.

WYNDHAM HOTELS AND RESORTS will brand the 400-room Wyndham St. Croix Golf Resort & Casino

Travel Weekly chimes in on the Wyndham deal:

"WYNDHAM HOTELS AND RESORTS will brand the 400-room Wyndham St. Croix Golf Resort & Casino, scheduled to open in 2010. The resort will serve as the cornerstone of a $250 million complex that will include the St. Croix Conference Center. The 294-acre site near downtown Christiansted is a short drive from the airport. The resort will have a casino (the second on the island); a Jack-Nicklaus-designed golf course; a spa and fitness center; four restaurants; lounges; retail stories; and a kids' club. The property will be St. Croix's second chain hotel, joining the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort & Casino."

9 Lives: Wyndham St. Croix Golf Resort and Casino

This thing just won't die - it looks like the Golden Casino project on St. Croix is not only alive, but kicking (although with a different name!):

Feb. 27, 2008 -- Wyndham Hotels and Resorts will manage the long-delayed Golden Gaming casino resort project on St. Croix's South Shore, developer Paul Golden announced Wednesday morning at The Palms at Pelican Cove.

Wyndham Resorts made its own announcement, broadcast on CNN at 8 a.m. Wednesday. "Golden Gaming" no more: Henceforth the project will be known as Wyndham St. Croix Golf Resort and Casino.

"After seven and a half years, Golden Resorts couldn't be more pleased and honored to have Wyndham managing the property," Golden said. "Wyndham's past experience with their 24 properties in the Caribbean and Latin America gives us the benefit of their sales, marketing and reservations system, their triple-rewards program for their members, and their network of Wyndham vacation-ownership condos. And they are well-known, experienced managers of hotels and resorts."

Golden Gets Another Shot at St. Croix Conference Center

Another story from The Source today:

Jan. 30, 2008 -- Funding for the construction of a $32.5 million conference center on St. Croix is now back in the hands of hotel developer Paul Golden, provided that he meets certain conditions laid out Wednesday by the Public Finance Authority board. The stability of Golden's project -- a 400-room resort and casino near St. Croix's Great Pond -- had generated concerns over the past few months for board members, who voted in early July to put the conference center out for bid. At that point, Golden had failed to meet several deadline extensions to obtain the financing needed to break ground on the project, nullifying the authority's previous resolution to build the facility in conjunction with Golden's resort.

We had an earlier story about this project being dead, which appears to have been premature.

Many Motions, Little Movement in Auffenberg Pretrial Hearing

The St. Thomas Source is reporting today:

Jan. 17, 2008 -- There was a flurry of motions but little movement Thursday in U.S. District Court on St. Croix as Judge Raymond L. Finch heard a laundry list of defense and prosecution motions in the case of James A. Auffenberg Jr. and three other men charged with evading federal taxes by misusing the V.I. Economic Development Commission program.

The U.S. Department of Justice is charging that the four men illegally claimed a 90 percent federal tax break on more than $300 million funneled through the St. Croix-based company Kapok Management, L.P. It alleges that Auffenberg, a prominent car dealer in Swansea, Ill., illegally avoided more than $74 million in taxes from 1999 to 2002 by joining Kapok as a partner and shipping money to Kapok, run by Peter G. Fagan of De Leon, Texas; James W. Ferguson III of Amarillo, Texas; and J. David Jackson of St. Croix. All four have pleaded innocent.

This is a very interesting case - a guilty conviction here could have a major impact on the territory.

Realtors are still key when making purchases

Realtor plug:

"I purchased a property in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, this summer. I've been in this business for 15 years and as we all do, think I know what I'm doing. Did I appreciate and take advantage of the information and ease of access to that information over the Internet? Yes. Was that access a key to the successful completion of my transaction? Yes. Would I dare risk doing the deal without a local agent, even as capable and knowledgeable as I am? No. Did the agent provide information and service invaluable to the deal? Absolutely."

The Complete Retreat

Land-de Wilde Realty on St. Croix is making a big push on this property. It is showing up rather prominently in AdSense ads on many Virgin Islands sites I visit and in my Gmail account. The name of the property is confusing however from the website set up for it - is it "St. Croix Dome" or "The Complete Retreat"? They also need to work on their title tags at the least. Anyway - check it out if you are in the market for some non-traditional architecture on St. Croix.

St. Croix Casino Developer Loses Gamble, Folds

Can't say that I didn't see this coming:

Nov. 7, 2007 -- After more than six years of delays, numerous extensions to its casino license, lawsuits by environmentalists and competitors and a Senate agreement to fund a $32 million conference center, Golden Gaming's plans to build a resort have come to a close with foreclosure and auction of the lands.

Paul Golden of Golden Gaming has tried to develop a casino resort costing several hundred million dollars on St. Croix's south shore since 2001. (See "Golden Gaming CEO Remains Steadfast in His Vision.")

On Dec. 1, 2006, the Connecticut-based hedge fund Silver Point Capital loaned Golden Gaming $15 million, secured by a mortgage on the casino development company's land holdings. Notice of default was received by Golden Gaming on June 12 and, on Aug. 30, Silver Point filed foreclosure papers on all of Golden Gaming's land holdings, claiming the lands in payment of the debt. On Oct. 25 a judgment was entered in Superior Court on St. Croix, saying the parties have agreed to terms of the foreclosure.

Prosser Property on St. Croix Put Up for Sale

The St. Thomas Source is reporting the following:

"Oct. 12, 2007 -- The sale of a million-dollar piece of St. Croix property belonging indirectly to Jeffrey Prosser, former owner of Innovative Telephone, has been proposed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The proposal was submitted by Stan Springel, the court-appointed trustee charged with raising funds to meet the debts of Prosser's companies. The property is identified in the court filings as Plot 143 Estate Anna's Hope, East End Quarter, St. Croix. It is to be sold "as is."

Springel has set a price for the property, $1.15 million, and has selected a real-estate agent, Farchette and Hanley of Christiansted -- both subject to court approval. The real-estate agent's fee would be five percent, which Springel noted was less than the six percent often charged. "

UVI Tech Park

Tough story on the proposed UVI Tech Park on St. Croix out today in the VI Daily News - it pulls no punches exposing the fact that nothing has happened for nearly 6 years with 13 million dollars spent:

"The Virgin Islands is chasing an unrealistic Silicon Valley fantasy and sacrificing practical economic development at the expense of taxpayers.

Since 2002, the territory has allocated at least $13 million on the gamble that the University of the Virgin Islands' Research and Technology Park will attract high-tech companies to move to the islands.

Much like the expensive promises that left St. Croix with the near-vacant Rohlsen Airport and the unused Ann Abramson cruise ship pier, the assumptions that drive the Tech Park are based on miscalculations and unrealistic expectations.

Principal involved in school with dubious credentials

Questions raised about a St. Croix "diploma mill"

"In January, the school's accreditation was revoked by the Virgin Islands' new governor, less than two months after it was granted by the territory's acting commissioner of education.

Published reports in the Virgin Islands have accused Knisley and officials of the International Graduate Center of running a diploma mill – institutions of higher education that provide degrees for few credit hours and at higher-than-usual tuition."

Virgin Islands Classifieds

Virgin Islands On Line has free classifieds for the USVI. If you have anything to sell, including homes, land, furnishing, etc. you should check it out. Leave an ad for FREE or maybe find something you need.

Priced-Out Buyers in the Virgin Islands

From the NY Times:

COLLEEN WILSON, a lawyer who relocated her family to St. Thomas for a job at a multinational insurance company this spring, has not rented a home since she was 21. Not in Britain, nor in Jamaica, nor in Florida. Here in the Virgin Islands, however, she has been renting a three-bedroom house for more than eight months. And she doesn’t like it.

“Renting seems like such a waste,” she said, of the modest house on a small lot in the eastern Red Hook section of the island that could be hers to own for slightly more than $1 million.

“But I’m just not comfortable with the range of prices here,” she said. “Based on the property values in Miami, where we lived before, I expected to purchase something nice for $500,000 or under within six to eight months of exploring the island. Everything I’m interested in is $1.2 million, and I can’t see myself mortgaging my entire lifestyle to incur that kind of debt.”

Real estate investors buy stake in Annaly Bay

The VI Daily News is reporting:

"ST. CROIX - St. Croix is poised for more development at Annaly Bay on the northwest end of the island.

Throgmartin Co. announced Tuesday that it has sold 1,100 of the 2,500 acres of its Annaly Bay property to a newly formed company called Annaly Bay Resorts LLC. The company is made up of a group of California-based real estate investors.

Neither company released the purchase price.

Last November, Florida-based Throgmartin purchased 2,500 acres at Annaly Bay from local developer Jake Jacobus, who owns Carambola Resort, for an undisclosed amount of money.

In December, Throgmartin unveiled a master plan for a $500 million mega-resort and residential community to be developed over a 15-year period.

Throgmartin officials said they plan to develop only 1,327 of the 2,500 acres it purchased and would leave 70 percent of the 1,327 acres developed as green space, or natural open space."

There is more here. This is pretty exciting - it is great to see news about possible development on St. Croix.

Golden gets additional time to secure money for resort

The V.I. Daily News is reporting:

ST. THOMAS - The Public Finance Authority on Monday gave New Jersey-based developer Paul Golden additional time to get his finances in place for the $120 million resort and casino he plans to build on St. Croix's south shore.

The PFA governing board's members voted unanimously to extend Golden's deadline to April 5. If Golden's company, Golden Gaming, misses the new deadline, he risks losing out on the V.I. government's guarantee of an additional $32.5 million investment in a 12,000-square foot convention center proposed for the resort.

The government funding hinges on whether the company can line up 80 percent of the financing to complete the resort project, which includes a 400-room hotel, a spa and an 18-hole golf course near Great Pond.

There is a lot of interesting stuff in the article, with Golden hinting that he has lined up a major hotel name to manage the property. I don't know if I would trust comments like that but you never know.

Mashantucket Pequots announce plans for Caribbean resort casino

From the AP:

June 29, 2005, 7:02 PM EDT

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which operates Foxwoods Resort Casino, said Wednesday that it plans to build a 600-acre resort and casino in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the latest move by an Indian tribe to expand operations off tribal land.

The tribe said its plans include a 400-room hotel, a marina, casino, 160 residential lots, condominiums, two golf courses, retail shops, a convention center and botanical gardens.

Foxwoods, which is built on tribal land in Connecticut, is one of the largest casinos in the world. Other tribes, including the Mohegans, have diversified. The Mohegans, operators of Mohegan Sun, recently purchased the Pocono Downs racetrack in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., in anticipation of opening a slots facility.

The Mashantucket Pequots said they are working with William and Punch Partners, a development group that owns waterfront property on St. Croix, where casino gambling is legal.

Tribal spokesman Bruce McDonald said no additional information will be available Wednesday.

According to a news release issued by a lending company last year, the developers are planning to build "The Mills of St. Croix," on the site of one of the island's old sugar mills. It did not mention the tribe's involvement.

James A.D. Francis, chief of staff to Virgin Islands Senate President Lorraine L. Berry, said Wednesday that the casino plan was in development and believes the tribe's involvement will be viewed favorably by local officials.

"That would be good news for St. Croix because it would mean William and Punch had a financial backer to really assist them," Francis said.

At a Senate hearing last year, residents said they wanted the resort project but were concerned about environmental effects and that the developers may not obtain financing for the deal, The St. Croix Source newspaper reported.

"St. Croix is a market that has exciting possibilities, and any development, like our other enterprises, should respect the natural beauty of its surroundings," Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chairman Michael J. Thomas said in a statement.

The nearly 600-acre site was purchased for $3.75 million, according to last year's news release by Kennedy Funding, a lending group, which said it had arranged a loan of $3.9 million.

Francis said casino developers must seek approval from the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission. Legislators generally support casino gambling to increase tourism, he said.

Update: St. Croix casino controversy

Mat Probasco
ASSOCIATED PRESS
8/4/2004 11:03 pm 

CHARLOTTE AMALIE, U.S. Virgin Islands - A Las Vegas-based developer failed to address environmental concerns in its application to build a casino-resort near sensitive wetlands, a government regulatory agency has decided.

Golden Resorts did not provide plans for wildlife protection, trash removal, and sewage and drainage controls, according to the Coastal Zone Management Committee's 12-page ruling released late Tuesday.

The committee said it would officially inform the company of its decision this week, giving it 10 days to address the concerns.

Golden Resorts wants to build the $150 million resort about 50 feet from the mangrove-fringed Great Pond on the island of St. Croix.

The pond is home to many rare birds, including herons egrets and the white crown pigeons. The federally protected green and hawksbill sea turtles nest on the nearby beaches.

Environmentalists argue the resort would attract crowds to the normally deserted beaches, potentially destroying turtle nesting grounds and scaring off birds. They also say soil runoff from construction could cause other harm.

Golden Resorts attorney Kevin Rames countered the 290-acre resort would employ 1,200 people, 80 percent of whom would be from St. Croix, the largest and poorest island in the U.S. Caribbean territory. The 434-room resort would include a casino and golf course.

Rames insisted the resort wouldn't be any more environmentally damaging than the stray dogs, motorcycle riders and fishermen's shacks already around the area.

"The same interest groups who have concern about development don't seem to care about the fishing shacks and feral dogs there," Rames said. "But when you try to put something on the ground to employ people the objections flow fast and they flow heavy."

Golden Resorts has an appeal pending with the Board of Land Use Appeals, arguing it should have been granted the permit by default because the zone management committee failed to rule on its application within 30 days. That deadline passed in February.

The appeals board has agreed to hear the case in September, said Michael Law, the board's legal counselor.

Copyright © 2004 The Reno Gazette-Journal