Senators Defend $5 Million Frederiksted Waterfront Investment Amid Community Pushback

Four senators of the 36th Legislature appeared Tuesday evening at a community meeting on the Frederiksted Waterfront Master Plan, defending a $5 million legislative appropriation aimed at jumpstarting improvements around the pier while acknowledging broader concerns about the town’s long-standing challenges.

Present at the meeting were Senator Kenneth Gittens, Senator Kurt Vialet, Senator Novelle Francis Jr., and Senator Clifford Joseph.

The meeting, hosted by the V.I. Port Authority at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, was intended to gather public input on how the funds should be used to begin development of the waterfront corridor surrounding the Frederiksted Pier.

“This Is a Start”

Senator Kenneth Gittens made clear that the $5 million appropriation is not intended to solve all of Frederiksted’s issues but to begin targeted investment in the waterfront area.

“The $5 million appropriation was a start,” Gittens said, explaining that the Legislature allocated the funds to the Port Authority in part because it can move projects forward more quickly than central government agencies.