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More than seven years after Hurricane Irma ravaged Caneel Bay Resort, the Virgin Islands National Park has finally taken a huge step in rebuilding the destroyed property.

A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was released earlier this week, which details the requirements the future developer must adhere to when rebuilding the National Park. The timeline is rather aggressive, which is a good sign, as site visits are being held in just two weeks.

The organization chosen to develop the property will be given a maximum term of 60 years to develop 74 acres of land. The Park is looking for an individual or entity with expertise in the Caribbean Islands or similar locations. Specifically, the park is “interested in a resort design that will provide environmentally sustainable facilities and operations, be resilient to the effects of climate change, and provide positive economic, social, and cultural benefits to the people of St. John and the Virgin Islands.”

There will be no more than 166 rooms at the new resort, which is the same number of rooms Caneel Bay had prior to the storms. The redeveloped resort must adhere to the design intent of the resort when Laurance Rockefeller developed it in the 1950s. Caneel Bay was originally designed in a conscientious manner to limit the impacts it would have on wildlife, visual landscapes, the night sky and soundscapes of Caneel Bay. The new developer must create a plan that mimics that. Buildings will only be one or two stories, just like they were when the resort was open. There isn’t an indication in the RFQ regarding the anticipated nightly rate; therefore we do not know whether the new resort will be low, moderate or high-end.

The RFQ states that the developer will have to provide “greater public access” to areas like Honeymoon Beach and Caneel Beach, both of which currently have land access via the resort, as well as Little Caneel Beach. Little Caneel Beach is a small area of sand located on the western side of the dock.

The developer will have to provide access to seven hiking trails that are located in or around Caneel Bay, which include Lind Point, Water Catchment, Hawksnest and Turtle Point trails, among others.

Click here to read the Request for Qualifications in its entirety. 

As I mentioned, site visits are scheduled in two weeks. Letters of intent are due December 6th. Proposals are due December 27th. Everything regarding this process is public, so we will be able to know who is trying to develop the resort. I will keep you posted on this. 🙂

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

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Guests at Gallows Point will soon have a new opportunity for watersports, as the resort is seeking approval to install a floating dock in Cruz Bay.

Gallows Point is seeking approval from the Army Corps. of Engineers to install a dock in the northeast corner of the resort. If approved, the dock will be 96-feet long and four-feet wide. The dock is meant to provide “safe access for boating and water-based recreational activities for owners and guests at Gallows Point Resort,” according to the application. The dock would be used for small dinghies, sailboats, kayaks and paddle boards.

The public can comment on Gallows Point’s proposed dock. Comments must be made before Friday, October 25th. You can email your comments to karen.m.urelius@usace.army.mil.

Click here to view the entire application. 

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Can I be honest for a moment? It’s not easy being creative every single day. It’s especially not easy being creative every single day when you live on a teeny tiny island in the middle of the Caribbean, and it’s low season, and not too much is happening. So, I’ve decided to share some random facts that I know about St. John with all of you. Today we’re talking fast food!

St. John does not have a single fast food restaurant or any sort of chain business for that matter. (I know you’re all thinking- thank goodness!) But that hasn’t alway been the case. Imagine wandering through Wharfside Village, gazing out toward the beautiful turquoise waters of Cruz Bay and passing by a Wendy’s fast food restaurant. Sounds terrible, right?! Well back in the early 90s, this is exactly what would have happened! Wendy’s was located in the section of Wharfside Village where La Tapa is today. It closed in 1992 after a fire caused extensive damage to the restaurant, and never reopened.

Subway was the second and only other fast food chain to operate on St. John. It was located in a trailer across from Woody’s where Tap & Still is today. Subway closed in 2008, and then was transformed briefly into a campaign office. Since then, numerous restaurants have been in that spot including Iguana Grill, Across the Street, Umami and currently Tap & Still.

Pusser’s Bar used to be located on the second floor of Wharfside Village. I guess that can somewhat be considered a chain considering there have been several in the British Virgin Islands, there’s one in Ponte Vedra Florida, and there’s even one in Germany! Greengo and Tap & Still are technically chains too, but I was really referring to more mainstream chains, and Wendy’s and Subway are the only two that come to mind.

Another random fact: I lived in an apartment on the second floor of Wharfside Village from 2017-2018, and we had an original  Pusser’s pendant lamp in our hallway – so fun!

That’s it for today, folks. As the island ramps up, so will may creativity. 🙂 Have a fantastic day, everyone!

Want to learn more about St. John? Take an island tour with me!

Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour

See the island of St. John with a resident. See the nooks and crannies that many visitors miss. Explore the beaches, historical sites, perhaps a tiki bar or two, and much more. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor.

Click Here to Book Now.