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Real estate scoreboard

Cliffhousea_2There are 23 houses listed for sale with asking prices of $3 million or more.  Two of the five most expensive properties are in the Peter Bay development. 

"Cliffhouse", priced at $13.95 million is the priciest house on island.  "Complete privacy with sweeping views of Jost Van Dyke, Tortola and turquoise waters, verdant hillsides and distant island shores," according to the listing.

MLS stats for 5/19/06

  • Houses:  110 (up 6 from 5/10)
  • Commercial:  26 (unchanged from 5/10)
  • Condos:  43 (unchanged from 5/10)
  • Land lots:  251 (up 2 from 5/10)

Beach to Beach Swim

Swimdude6_1Friends of the V.I. National Park will host its third annual Beach-to-Beach Power Swim. The race consists of three tests: a short course from Maho to Cinnamon, about 1 mile; an intermediate course from Maho to Trunk Bay, about 2-1/4 miles; and, a long course from Maho to Hawksnest, about 3-1/2 miles.

Sponsors include Alfredo’s Landscaping and Mongoose Junction.  The race will begin at about 8am.  There will be an after-race BBQ at Oppenheimer Beach at Noon.  Swimmers and everyone else are invited.  Details on the event are here.

Caneel to feature Nobu

Caneel Bay is about to boost its dining notoriety by adding Nobu to the menu. Culinary artists associated with the legendary international restaurateur Nobuyuki Matsuhisa will be in residence at Caneel Bay for one weekend, May 18-20. A news release from  Rosewood, which is in business with Nobu in other locations, said his team will have the freshest seafood in the world to work with, and will utilize the Turtle Bay Estate House kitchen to turn out many of Nobu signature dishes for a $180 prix fixe menu. The menu will include Yellowtail Jalapeno, Alaskan Black Cod, and Miso soup. More info at http://www.caneelbay.com/press_popup.cfm/id/506

Afternoon ferry service to expand

The crush of construction workers returning to St. Thomas has prompted plans to schedule additional ferries weekday afternoons, according to the St. John Source. "This should alleviate the buildup in the crowds,"   Transportation Services manager Kenrick Augustus told the online newspaper.  Another alternative would be ferries only for construction workers if this solution isn’t successful. Lisa Durgin, a St. John vacation villa manager, told the Source there are so many people waiting to get on the ferry at Cruz Bay that sometimes arriving guests can’t find her.   

Real estate scoreboard

    * Houses:  104 (unchanged from 4/25)
    * Commercial:  26 (unchanged from 4/25)
    * Condos:  43 (down 9 from 4/25)
    * Land lots:  249 (unchanged from 4/25)

ChinaThe relatively new China Shack, offering sit-in and takeout Chinese food, at the Marketplace, has been listed for sale at a price of $295,000.  "Professionally designed for efficiency, there exists unlimited potential for growth," the listing said. Two other restaurants on the island are also for sale; Morgan’s Mango and Chilly Billy’s.

Barge fees to rise

The V.I. Port Authority has authorized higher fees for vehicles and cargo shuttling between red Hook and St. John, and also made "temporary" ferry fare hikes permanent.  Cars and small sport-utility vehicles will pay $3 to the Authority for a one-way crossing, $6 per round trip, the Virgin Islands Daily News reported.  This is in addition to the fees paid the barge companies.  Vehicles carrying cargo will be charged $20 to $30 per day.  The new fees are lower than originally announced by the Port Authority, the newspaper said.  It reported Authority chairman Robert O’Connor, a St. Johnian, personally met with the agency’s executive director after receiving complaints.  "The director has some leeway," O’Connor was quoted.

The Public Services Commission also $5 as the adult one-way Red Hook to St. John ferry fee, and $10 from Cruz Bay to Charlotte Amalie, the St. John Source reported.  The Commission also reduced by $1, to $2, the fee charged for each piece of luggage.

What’s going on at Mongoose?

Mongoose_6
Glen Speer’s idea was that his Mongoose Junction would be a venue for artists to create and sell their works.  Donald Schnell and Constance Wallace
were two of the original tenants.  Schnell packed up his pots and clay
and sculpture and left a few weeks ago. Wallace closed her Clothing
Studio last weekend.  She’s been in business there for 22 years.

Wallace blamed "market changes and increasing competition," according to the St. John Source. 

Some of the retailers’ competition comes from Mongoose 2, next door.
Its merchants offer Hawaiian shirts, kites, furniture and varied other
items, more "touristy" than artful. Three other business in the
original Mongoose are also publicly listed for sale.

The turnover in merchants at Mongoose, along with construction of a new restaurant at the center, suggests the same kind of impact on locally-owned businesses that is being seen in the current condo and resort developments.  Most likely rising rents, and other rising costs are making it tough for "the little guy".

Airport AC troublesome

The waiting area at the King Airport has been unpleasant, off and on during the past week.  The air conditioning has failed intermittently, despite repair efforts by service people from Puerto Rico. 

"This is an ongoing situation that happens quite often" said Bob DeLugo, the station manager for Delta Airlines. "It’s something we’ve brought the attention of the Port Authority many times," he told the Virgin Islands Daily News.

Construction slowdown has ironic cause

Several island construction projects have been stymied on St. John because the builder can’t find sand. 

Yes, sand.  But not the beach kind.  The kind of sand that is used to make concrete. 

Dave Carlson told the St. John Source he has five Carlson Construction projects on hold because there is no sand.  "It’s never been this bad," he said. 

Carlson is a member of the Island Green Building Association and has been active with the group in trying to blunt massive development projects on St. John.