Development

Vialet Questions Nearly $2 Million Cost of Frederiksted Fish Market Rebuild as Funding Bill Advances

ST. CROIX — The nearly $2 million proposed for rebuilding the Frederiksted Fish Market drew sharp criticism from Senator Kurt Vialet during Tuesday's meeting of the Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance, where lawmakers considered an additional $600,000 appropriation for the project. Bill No. 36-0335, sponsored by Senator Hubert Frederick, would appropriate $600,000 from the St. Croix Capital Improvement Fund to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR). The money would supplement $1,332,000 in federal funding secured by the Nature Association of the Virgin Islands (NAVI) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bringing the potential total funding to $1,932,000. “This project has been in the works for a long time, and finally we've gotten the funds for it,” Mr. Frederick said. “It's more than just for the fishermen. It's also for the community.” Virginia Clairmont, testifying on behalf of NAVI, said the local appropriation would “complement that investmen...