Rendering of the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute. By. V.I. DEPT. OF PLANNING AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Restoration of the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute (CKCI) is expected to wrap up in September 2025," said Darryl Smalls, executive director for facilities and corporate development within the Territorial Hospital Redevelopment Team.
Providing an upbeat update on several projects to lawmakers during Wednesday’s meeting of the Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services, Mr. Small provided information on the status of the CKCI project to date, including the groundbreaking ceremony on November 4th, notice to proceed issued to J Benton Construction LLC on March 2nd, and an effective start date of March 4th.
As per Mr. Smalls, the total construction contract is worth $29,180,045.21. Additionally, a FEMA award to the tune of $5,561,063.53 is earmarked for the replacement of critical equipment destroyed by the hurricanes. Under the new relaxed guidelines, FEMA will foot 98% of the cost, a total of $5,449,842.26.
As of April 3rd, contractors have completed the work necessary to “ensure a safe construction zone and perimeter around the center.” The first phase of the project involves “completely ensuring that CKCI is an isolated standalone structure,” Mr. Small said. This involves the demolition of all connections to the Schneider Regional Medical Center.
Lawmakers were generally appreciative of the update. Senator Milton Potter, who participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, wondered whether the September 2025 timeframe is “realistic”. He told Mr. Smalls he was “almost nervous to get excited.”
Regarding the actual construction process, Mr. Smalls stated confidently that he was “not concerned,” and described the contractor as excellent. However, Sen. Potter’s concern may not be unfounded, as Mr. Smalls admitted that he is worried about the procurement processes for “long-lead items and equipment.” He explained that “components are coming from different [places] in the world, and then they're assembled on the mainland, and then having to be shipped here and then installed.” There is no telling how long this could take, especially given the risks of external disruptive shocks to complicated supply chains," Mr. Smalls said.
Securing adequate staffing for the facility by the September 2025 completion date was another worry of Mr. Potter's. However, the leadership team," Mr. Smalls said, "is actively involved in discussions and planning for that effort.
