VIports Partners Selected for P3 Development of Airports

VIports Partners was approved as the V.I. Port Authority’s potential public-private partner for both the Cyril E. King and Henry E. Rohlsen airports on Tuesday during a special governing board meeting. VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe and the Evaluation Committee’s approved P3 recommendation authorized the executive director to enter into a transition agreement with VIports Partners, which officials said would take about nine months to finalize.

Kate Davis, procurement and contracts manager for the Port Authority, provided the staff’s summary on the P3 development that led to VIports Partners being selected as the recommended developer after review of their request for proposal.

“The purpose of the RFP was to receive proposals and select the firm that best meets the priorities identified by the authority and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said Davis.

Those priorities include a firm that can provide the authority and the territory the best overall value during the development and operational phases of the airport P3, maximize short-term and long-term economic benefits to the territory, and create a terminal design for both St. Thomas and St. Croix that is: sustainable and resilient, embodies the U.S. Virgin Islands’ energy and cultural feel, is innovative and efficient, can be modified to meet changing requirements and standards, will meet projected passenger activity level and demands and will enhance the flexibility and efficiency of passenger processing and airfield operations.