The owner of a construction company expects the island construction boom to last as long as 15 years. David Holzman told the St. John Source "hundreds if not thousands" of houses will be built and, "That’s a lot of noise for a long time."
Much of the work will occur where there is the least development, the East End and Coral Bay, where Privateer Bay and Dreekets Bay projects are underway. A new development at Point Rendezvous is also planned. Holzman said there are about 200 houses now being built on the island. Construction traffic is so heavy, again in the Coral Bay area where there is little infrastructure, damage to roads has become common. Concrete spills on the roadways are part of the causes of problems. The crush of work also is felt in Cruz Bay, especially at the end of the day. Workers crowd the ferries to St Thomas and construction vehicles can be backed up waiting to use the barge services.
It’s the American Way … take any place good and special, add realtors, throw in numerous developers and get-rich-quick artists, copious amounts of cash and government incompetence. Mix thoroughly with baby boomers and voila St. John becomes Key West/Miami/Cancun. America’s Paradise indeed … if you’re in the construction business.
Wonder how the other tourists paying $5000 a week for a villa and expecting a quiet stay on a “quaint” island (they believed the brochures) react to spending their vacation in the middle of a construction zone? We know how we felt when the jack hammer started up at 6 am on the lot next to the villa we rented.
But hey, when you’re part of the problem, as we are, we have no right to bemoan the loss of our dream retirement lifestyle. Maybe we should get down there right away, get into the real estate business and cash in along with everyone else. It’s the American Way.