Abandoned building. Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
The government of the Virgin Islands is advancing a plan to address the long-standing issue of derelict and abandoned buildings in the territory, Government House Communications Director Richard Motta during Monday’s weekly press briefing.
The plan to deal with these health and safety hazards was introduced last month by Governor Albert Bryan recently, who has since been meeting with stakeholders in both districts. The next phase of this effort will be a series of scheduled town hall meetings to facilitate public conversation on the administration's proposed approach to remedy the issue, Mr. Motta said.
The first town hall is scheduled for Monday, August 28, at the Charlotte Amalie High School Auditorium at 6:00 p.m., while the second will be held on Wednesday, August 30, at the St. Croix Educational Complex auditorium, also at 6:00 p.m.
Motta encouraged the community to participate in the discussions on how to collectively address this longstanding issue. He also noted the administration's ongoing efforts to invest in improving towns, including recent improvements at the Vendor's Plaza on St. Thomas.
Those improvements culminated with the unveiling of the "I love St. Thomas" sign at the newly upgraded plaza. This is part of several ongoing projects to improve town areas throughout the territory, including waterfront areas in Charlotte Amalie, Frederiksted, Christiansted, and Cruz Bay.
