COMMITTEE RECEIVES TESTIMONY CONCERNING COMPLETION OF PAUL E. JOSEPH STADIUM

ST. CROIX, VI – The Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports and Parks, led by Senator Angel L. Bolques, Jr. met at the Frits E. Lawaetz Legislative Conference Room. Lawmakers received testimony examining the investment, accountability, and completion timeline of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium on St. Croix.

Lisa Alejandro, Commissioner of the Department of Property and Procurement stated that the Department procured the design/build services for the development of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium, the Terrence Martin Little League Field and a Festival Village on St. Croix, as authorized in Act 7453, as amended by Act No. 7663. The Department issued a formal request for proposal (RFP), No. RFP -0062013 (P) on January 28, 2013, under the then existing version of Title 31, Section 239(a)(4) of the Virgin Islands Code. GEC LLC was the highest rated of two respondents and recommended for the start of negotiations and was ultimately awarded. The original contract, No. C003SPRC15, executed November 19, 2014, was in the amount of $20 Million. A supplemental contract, No. C003ASPRC15, executed February 26, 2022 was in the amount of $4.1 Million. A supplemental contract No. PO-24-810-8102-688, executed on September 10, 2024  was in the amount of $5.124 Million.  Alejandro stated that the department submitted all change orders for the project. Furthermore, Alejandro mentioned that the project completion time is currently scheduled for July 2, 2026.

Derek Gabriel, Commissioner of the Department of Public Works voiced frustration in provided testimony as it related to the completion of the stadium, stating that the timeline of the project has been a deep source of frustration, stating that a decade is a long time to wait for the delivery of any capital project. Per DPW’s mandate, the Department has managed the project on behalf of the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation. Per Act 8326, the Department continues to submit bi-monthly progress reports to the Legislature, through the Senate President’s Office to give updates on the project’s process. Gabriel stated that the core structure and roof system of the stadium are essentially complete, and the focus has shifted to interior buildouts and specialized mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations. The total cost to date for the stadium stands at $31,124,000, with $26,250,097.02 paid to date. Recent change orders 26, 10 and 3 have been executed by the Department of Property and Procurement. The contract time has been extended to July 2, 2026.

Several milestones have been accomplished by the contractor, which include completion of left field bleacher roof and entry gates, door installations, and the release of retainage. Current activity includes tile work in team locker rooms. Formwork for the right field end stairs is ready for pouring. The project has faced a shift in the completion date from Late 2025 to September 30, 2026, which was drive-in mainly by material procurement lead time, cash flow challenges, administrative hurdles and design finalization.  GEC is awaiting delivery of restroom partitions, exhaust fans, and elevator controls. They have received various plumbing fixtures and tube metal for handrails.  Design elements for the press box, generator, and outfield wall are being finalized.

Vincent Roberts, Commissioner of the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation reminded the body that the Department is not responsible for the construction, procurement, or delivery of the stadium project. The Department’s responsibility beings after the completion, when the facility is formally turned over to the Department for operations and management. The Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation has collaborated with the Department of Public Works throughout the project by providing input on design, functionality, reviewing layouts for sports and community programming, accessibility and safety standards, and design changes or delays that would affect future usability. Roberts delivered a framework for DSPR’s operational plan for the stadium, which would include commissioning, safety inspections, staffing, standard operational procedures, and a phased opening. Annual operating costs of the facility are estimated at between. $1.5 Million to $2.2 Million, which would be driven by personnel, utilities, maintenance, equipment, and security. Annual revenue would range from $800,000- to $1.6 Million. Roberts cautioned that facilities of the scale of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium rarely generate profit and must be evaluated by community impact and economic activity rather than revenue alone.  Additionally, Roberts mentioned risks such as operational deficits and staffing changes but voiced the readiness of the department to manage the stadium to ensure it becomes an asset for the territory.  

Adrienne Williams-Octalien, Director of the Office of Disaster Recovery, reminded the body that the stadium project is not an ODR managed initiative, as it is funded through local legislative appropriations rather than through federal disaster recovery programs. Williams-Octalien stated that the project is under the authority of the Department of Public Works. ODR’s involvement was limited to supporting FEMA’s floodplain compliance after the 2017 hurricanes, particularly assisting with the approval of the Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMAR) required because the stadium lies within a FEMA designated floodway. Williams-Octalien stated that FEMA’s Community Assistance Visit identified compliance issues related to floodplain management, which prompted additional studies, a corrective action plan, and coordination led by Department of Planning of Natural Resources, this includes hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, engineering reviews, and environmental compliance requirements. The final CLOMR was issued by FEMA in 2021, confirming that the project met federal floodplain standards. With this approval, ODR’s role concluded. DPW remains the agency responsible for managing the stadium’s construction.

John Wessel, Director of Operations for GEC LLC provided a timeline detailing the causes for delays to the Paul E. Joseph stadium project. Per Wessel’s testimony, work at the stadium site began with a Notice to Proceed on November 21, 2014, establishing an original completion date of June 5, 2017. Delays to the project stemmed from a government ordered suspension of work in February 2015, which was then followed by major design changed that changed the size of the stadium which located the stadium into a floodway, which resulted in 327 days of delay. Additional delays occurred between 2016 and 2022, due to geotechnical investigations, a failed surcharge foundation method, hurricane damages from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the need to resign the foundation using driven piles. Additional delays came from regulatory requirements and administrative processes. In 2020, the project’s building permit was placed on hold pending FEMA’s Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR), which was not issued until October 15, 2021. GEC states that this resulted in 1,114 days of delay. Additional delays occurred due to negotiating reimbursement for CLOMR related costs and processing a contract amendment related to retainage, adding another delay of 249 days. Wessel also states that some records were lost permanently due to a ransomware attack in Early 2025.

Chairman Bolques voiced frustration.  “At the end of the day, we’ve poured in local tax paying funds into this project, and the project continues to falter and stall, and I don’t know if more money is actually the solution. I think this is a performance issue.”  Bolques additionally voiced concern about the projected new completion date of July 2026.  

Senators present at today’s committee hearing included Angel L. Bolques, Jr., Carla J. Joseph, Marvin A. Blyden, Alma Francis Heyliger, Novelle E. Francis, Jr., Kenneth L. Gittens, Franklin D. Johnson, Clifford Joseph, and Milton E. Potter.  

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