National Park Service Seeks Public Comment on Concepts for Caneel Bay
The National Park Service is seeking public comment on an initial set of concepts for the redevelopment of Caneel Bay, the iconic resort at Virgin Islands National Park on St. John’s renowned north shore that has been closed since the hurricanes of 2017.
2022-01-19 12:37:25 - VI News Staff
The concepts, released Tuesday, range from re-establishing a world-class resort on the 150-acre property along with a mid-range overnight experience, to minimally restoring the site for public hiking and beach access.
“We developed a preliminary range of options that prioritize the protection of resources and expand public access to Caneel Bay,” said Virgin Islands National Park Superintendent Nigel Fields in a press release Tuesday. “Civic engagement is an important part of the redevelopment process. We look forward to receiving the public’s feedback as we work together to create the best possible future for Caneel Bay.”
The property currently operates under a retained use estate, called a RUE, a unique arrangement crafted by Laurance S. Rockefeller in 1983, setting aside the resort for independent operation and management within Virgin Islands National Park without NPS oversight.
CBI Acquisitions LLC controls the lease through September 2023 and sought to extend it before it would invest in repairs after hurricanes Irma and Maria caused massive damage in September 2017. However, the Department of the Interior rejected that proposal and in July announced it would move forward with an open bidding process when the lease is up.
Members of the St. John community rejoiced at the news. Many of them have long been critical of CBIA’s management of the property, which in September 2020 was found to have environmental contamination, though the extent was unknown because CBIA allegedly rebuffed attempts by the National Park Service to complete mandated environmental assessments, according to reports at the time. The issue led to a citizen’s lawsuit.
In addition to long being an economic driver on the island, Caneel Bay is also an important cultural and historical site and the location of the 1733 Akwamu Slave Rebellion, one of the first sustained revolts of enslaved people in the Americas, the NPS stated in its press release. Many members of the St. John community have expressed concern that such history is preserved.