Port Authority Hosted “Industry Day” with Details About Upcoming Harbor Dredging Project

On Tuesday, the Virgin Islands Port Authority hosted its “Industry Day,” where it provided details about the upcoming Charlotte Amalie Harbor dredging project. Held virtually and in person, the brief meeting catered to marine, dredging, and general contractors who might be interested in bidding for the project.

Last month, the Port Authority announced that they would begin dredging the Charlotte Amalie Harbor to accommodate large-sized cruise ships. The project will be funded with $17 million from the V.I. Public Finance Authority via legislation submitted by Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. and $1.5 million from the Community Facilities Trust Fund.

Preston Breyer, director of engineering for the Port Authority, said that the project “Has an end goal of being able to facilitate larger cruise vessels hauling to Havensight, Yacht Haven, with the West Indian Company dock.” He added, “The majority of you are aware that the tourism industry is critical to the Virgin Islands and this is really an essential project that we’re looking forward to getting out and moving.”

West Indian Company CEO Anthony Ottley, said that “It’s important to get this project out as soon as possible as we’ve been trying to get this done for quite some time.” He added, “Losing one ship, the amount of money that we lose with even a ship, there is a lot of potential for additional revenue. Even as far as the cruise lines are concerned, they continue to build bigger and bring more people to the territory. So we need to be in a position where we can accommodate, especially [if] the Virgin Islands is their plan A. I would hate for them to go to a Plan B or a Plan C.”