Governor Albert Bryan Jr. on Tuesday participated in the official kickoff meeting for Suffolk CBNA, the joint venture tasked with rebuilding six critical facilities on St. Thomas, including five schools and one administrative building. The effort is a key part of the Office of Disaster Recovery’s (ODR) Rebuild USVI initiative, Government House said.

According to the release, during the meeting Bryan praised the involvement of local contractors who are already engaged in supporting the project’s successful execution. He also acknowledged the contributions of key government agencies, including the V.I. Water and Power Authority, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the V.I. Department of Education, and ODR. Their collaboration, he noted, will be instrumental in ensuring the timely and efficient completion of these long-awaited reconstruction efforts.

The meeting was led by Adrienne Williams-Octalien, director of the Office of Disaster Recovery, who provided an overview of the project’s scope and timeline. Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach also attended, where he reinforced his commitment to the children of the Virgin Islands and stressed the urgent need to restore and enhance the territory’s educational infrastructure.

“This project marks a major milestone in our commitment to rebuilding the Virgin Islands stronger and better,” said Bryan. “With the dedication of our local contractors, agency partners, and the leadership of the Office of Disaster Recovery, we are ensuring that our students and educators will have the facilities they deserve.”

The St. Thomas school rebuilding initiative is part of Bundle 2 under Rebuild USVI, a multi-year effort focused on modernizing and fortifying public institutions across the territory. Groundbreaking for the schools is scheduled to take place later this year, with construction expected to continue through 2027.