St. Croix CZM Approves New Hospital, Dialysis Center and Tech Boost

The St. Croix Coastal Zone Management Committee approved permits to demolish and rebuild Gov. Juan Luis Hospital, develop a dialysis center in La Grande Princesse, and construct a communications tower on the North Shore. The board also discussed a prospective underwater communications cable from Florida to St. Croix.

During the decision meeting for the hospital and dialysis center, Darryl Smalls, executive director of Facilities and Capital Development for the Government Hospitals and Health Facilities Corporation, outlined plans to demolish and reconstruct Gov. Juan Luis Hospital on its current site. He also detailed the build out of a dialysis center at the former Nissan Automotive Center on North Shore Road.

Smalls addressed questions from CZM board members, explaining that the large amount of glass planned for the hospital’s construction exceeds Miami’s hurricane-resistant building codes. He added that providing patients with a view through windows is beneficial to their recovery. Regarding fire safety concerns, Smalls said modern, state-of-the-art firefighting methods would be implemented in designated areas.