Caneel Bay in St. John Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
The National Park Service (NPS) is reminding people who want to express their opinion on redevelopment options for Caneel Bay that the public comment period will close on Monday March 6.
The Caneel Bay retained use estate — a unique arrangement crafted by Laurance S. Rockefeller in 1983, setting aside the 150-acre resort for independent operation and management — will remain in place until its expiration on September 30, 2023 when the NPS assumes full responsibility.
Once that happens, NPS says it is proposing to employ a competitive lease strategy to redevelop Caneel Bay at Virgin Islands National Park, soliciting qualified applicants for the long-term partnership needed to successfully manage hotel accommodations at Caneel Bay while protecting natural and cultural resources.
Interest from the public regarding this proposed move forward has been high, with NPS saying they have received responses from over 900 people thus far. Nevertheless, they are making a final push for those who wish to have their voice heard on the issue but have not yet done so, to submit comments before the window closes on Monday.
Comments can be submitted online through close of business on Monday, or mailed to NPS at the following address:
Superintendent,
Attn: Caneel Bay Redevelopment
1300 Cruz Bay Creek
St. John, VI 00830
Mailed comments must be postmarked by March 6 to be eligible for consideration.
On Monday, NPS will be accepting written comments at the Visitor Center on St. John, where persons can access information relating to the redevelopment proposals and fill out comment forms.
NPS said it will also be facilitating what it called “office hours”, on Monday afternoon, where people can visit in-person locations to either drop off their written comments or have their verbal comments transcribed. From 4:30 to 6:30 pm on the 6th, people can visit the pavilion by the Visitor Center on St. John, or the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School cafeteria on St. Thomas to take advantage of the “office hours” service.
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