fbpx

Construction update photos

The three big projects. (Click the photos for larger images.)

Grande Bay, Cruz Bay

Grandebay_030408_2Not much activity on the site, a few guys milling around.  Street level still unfinished.




Sirenusa, Enighed

Sirenusa_030408_2
Unbelievably gorgeous up there, with incredible western views of St. Thomas and the British Virgin Islands.  The MLS shows a 3-bedroom unit just went under contract at $2.1 million



Pond Bay, Chocolate Hole

Pondbay_030408_2
You won’t believe how big it is.

17 thoughts on “Construction update photos”

  1. I am usually more sedate and gentile, but I HAVE To say this: –as a very very long time visitor to St. John (first trip was in the mid 60’s) this is aweful, this is sickening, this thoughtless, this is developer’s greed and St. John officials-turing-a-blind eye at it’s worst. When will this oppulent overdevelopment stop? I can only hope that seeing these scars on the beautiful landscape, the city fathers and powers that be might be less agreeable to intrusive developing in the future… FUTURE? I hope there IS a future for the St. John I love. Does ANYBODY agree with me?

  2. I agree. When you read about these projects, I think, hey development is not such a bad thing. But seeing them allows reality to set in. Lost is the quiet, relaxed, Eco feel of the island that draws many people for R&R. Now, it feels more and more like the bahamas, aruba, etc.. St John is selling out its identity. Maybe they will try and open a casino next, 🙁

  3. Our family is sad too and it makes our stomachs turn to see all this development. We visit SJ to get away from it all. On our last vistit in Jan 08 all we heard were saws, drills and hammers pounding. It’s always about the almighty dollar. We are sorry St. John has sold it’s soul to the devil.

  4. AMEN SISTA’
    Let’s all pitch in and buy the Maho Bay land so this doesn’t happen again. I say let’s buy timeshares on the tents…..

  5. It looks like Sirenusa is now trying to “do it right” maybe Grande Bay should take some lessons. I’d rather see development around Cruz Bay than along the North Shore.

  6. Wow I have not visited St John, but someday I will. As I have researched different vacation possibilities I always come back to the tranquil and pure photos and comments by others of St. John. These photos hurt and make me very sad. I wonder when or if the destruction will end….

  7. The only people who have the power to stop this are the people of St. John, and they’re not stepping up to the plate. A high school civics class could have figured out how to block these projects but apparenlty no one on St. John could. If the locals don’t want or seek change, it won’t happen. So stop complaining.

  8. Remember that it’s the “locals” who own the land, who sell the land, without putting restrictions to further limit the development on the land, who you’re talking about. Now, why would they put restrictions on development, rendering their land value-less, and not be able to buy a new Navigator with 22″ rims?

  9. Not this year!We had visited for ten+ years. The sell out to developers and the poor infrastructure have ruined STJ. Maybe the locals and the developers should just build a cruise ship dock and plan on it being the US Punta Cana !Sorry I sound so sour , but there are plenty of nice white sand beaches with palm trees around the world. I think STJ realized too late what they had.good luck

  10. Not this year!We had visited for ten+ years. The sell out to developers and the poor infrastructure have ruined STJ. Maybe the locals and the developers should just build a cruise ship dock and plan on it being the US Punta Cana !Sorry I sound so sour , but there are plenty of nice white sand beaches with palm trees around the world. I think STJ realized too late what they had.good luck

  11. As a devoted visitor and propery owner of St John, i cant help but be saddened at the sight of so much development in the way of condos. I hope it will stop here as the infrastructure of the island will be compromised, to be sure.
    I just hope at this point in time the phases of deveopment of these projects will be completed and not left to be an eyesore like the Penn trucking parking office/garage you see immediately upon arrival in st john. The rusty cables and wires protruding from the stone columns for 6 years are a testament to the local apathy for getting things done properly and with pride. Lets start with completion on the Penn Trucking building…. Do they have no shame at all to leave such a mess for all visitors and residents to see day after day, month after month , year after year, maybe decade after decade????? Arent there some rules to follow or some pride in ones town? Maybe I just dont understand….. SC

  12. In regards to the comment by susan. Penn’s trucking office/garage is NOT an offensive as whole hill sides stripped mined to erect concrete monster condos which are totally out of style with St. John. I know the Penn family members are very proud of St. John and to suggest otherwise by someone who is not a belonger is just plain rude and not correct! This unfortunately is now the mentality of many statesiders who buy property in St. John. Whereas the early continentals saw themselves as guests and even the very wealthy ones satisfied themselves with modest homes, now more and more continentals came down, some of whom are impatient with the old island ways. People who don’t know or care about locals or the culture and are driving around like they own the place.
    Yes, you are right you do not understand

  13. bj,
    i disagree with you on one point; “culture” is not simply tolerance of “the way things are because that’s the way things have been and the way we want things to stay”. “culture” shouldn’t include allowing for your beloved “belongers” to do the same things that you’d hate for an outsider to do, and that includes half-building poorly planned eyesores in the middle of town. take a little walk up to penn’s yard again, clear your mind, and take a look at it. full of rusty crap, loud trucks, unfinished construction, garbage… while the penns may love st john, their yard is an eyesore, and part of the problem.

  14. One clear point that needs to be made to those of you who do not understand the local government here is that St John has very little, in-fact almost no representation in our local government. Most decisions regarding this island are made by people, some of whom never set foot on this island. Why should they care when they are in Government, the business of making money through taxation? So I ask the civics professor, how does one woman, with just one vote in our territorial government, make the decision to stop development for St John, when the island is clearly split on how to progress. Everyone wants the door to close after they get in, to keep this place exactly as they found it. How do you tell people with undeveloped land that they can no longer use it? How do you fairly stop development without actually purchasing the undeveloped areas at full market value and donating them to the park? I must have missed that part in High School Civics about dictatorships held by visitors who tell residents they can no longer build on their own land. Oh wait, wasn’t that in History Class, yeah the American Revolution. Although I pray daily for St John to be preserved and thoughtfully moved into the Future, the only Future is what WE create. I encourage all of you to be a part of it, but lets proceed with respect for each individual that makes this place their home and their individual desires to succeed. How many of you would begin to donate your hard earned cash toward a non-profit intended to purchase undeveloped land on St John? I suspect some of you, and although I have not created a Non profit with that specific Credo, The Friends of the National Park do hold that as one of their values. Perhaps with your donation, you could earmark it for land aquisition. But were not talking tens and twentys, Were talking Millions. Go ahead, be a Rockefellar. My account is at first bank

  15. hello all i have been to st john around 30 times in the 1990’s to see all the buildings being built is terrible when i first seen st john after traveling the carribbean i said this is a magical place i hope to god it stays that way it is just breathtaking everthing i hope to return soon as the airlines get there prices right that is whats makeing people not travel best regrds to all locals you all are the best best regards,wes& toni heidrich new jersey

Leave a Comment