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May 16, 2007
Gov. deJongh, Lt. Gov. Francis meet with Our Town Frederiksted; Tour Strand Street In a meeting held Tuesday in Frederiksted, St. Croix, Governor John P. deJongh, Jr., Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis, St. Croix Administrator, Pedro “Pete” Encarnacion, Chief of Police, Winsbut McFarlande, and members of the Governor’s staff, convened with the leadership of Our Town Frederiksted, Inc. to discuss an action plan designed to address priority issues and concerns in Frederiksted town. The discussion was a follow-up to a previous meeting held some weeks ago at the Rotary Club West facility and was chaired by Our Town Frederiksted, Inc. President, Al Franklin. "Today’s meeting was very helpful in highlighting some of the salient issues facing residents and visitors of Frederiksted. There is no question that town planning and other critical investments are needed to revitalize and strengthen Frederiksted, and with the cooperation of OTF and other private stakeholders, we can continue to instill measures that seek to provide a more practical operational town center," deJongh said. "I am encouraged by the level of dedication and in-depth analysis that has already been put forward and am committed to working with Our Town Frederiksted to encourage improvements towards the benefit of the general public," deJongh continued. Items on the Our Town Frederiksted agenda included a tour of Strand Street to discuss the need for increased, short-term parking, as well as property acquisition for a paid parking lot; the finalization and dissemination of a Frederiksted Town Plan, to include cooperation and feedback from a variety of government agencies and private sector stakeholders; discussion of the Frederiksted Revitalization Plan, Phase #2, to include the Paul E. Joseph Stadium; Community Development Block Grants, including a discussion on further enforcement of building codes on health, fire, and safety issues, as well as an annual commitment to a revitalization program, a housing rehabilitation initiative, the “paint, scrape, and rejuvenate” program, as well as lot clearance and demolition. In addition, public safety concerns were raised, specifically the desire for an increased police presence within Frederiksted city limits. Talks also focused on other, separate improvement and revitalization strategies targeted at increasing the quality of life for residents in Frederiksted and St. Croix. "With a business community greatly anticipating the arrival of cruise ships, and a network of commercial and private enterprises catering to our on-island and tourist clientele, it is important that we facilitate a downtown that is easy to utilize in terms of parking, safety, and access," deJongh said. "I look forward to continuing the discussion with Our Town Frederiksted and other entities on these planning initiatives," deJongh continued. |
