By
Rebecca Gibson |
The West Indian Company Limited (WICO) has applied to build a second pier to accommodate the increasingly larger cruise ships sailing to the Caribbean.
The application has been submitted to the US Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources’ Division of Coastal Zone Management, and calls for a newly constructed pier, an upland area for staging, and dredging within specific locations to service two of the largest classes of cruise ships.
Located in the Port of Charlotte Amalie near the WICO dock, the facility will have two parallel, 1,350-foot long berths divided by a pier. In addition, two mooring and breasting dolphins are proposed at the terminus of the pier separated by 100 feet each. These dolphins will connect to the pier via elevated, over-water walkways, while the upland area will be designed to allow passengers to quickly access tours and excursions around the island. It will also serve as a public space for the community.
“Careful thought and planning have gone into this project to ensure that it is in the best interest of the community, and we have been in close consultation with the Army Corps of Engineers on the best practices we need to implement,” said Jospeh Boschulte, president and CEO of WICO.
According to WICO officials, having the ability to accommodate larger ships will
keep the US Virgin Islands competitive with ports in the Caribbean, as well as helping to inject revenue into the territory’s general fund.
“We thought long and hard about how this would affect not only our bottom line, but the territory as a whole, because these islands are our home,” said Boschulte. “We had to be sure that any new development would not be at the expense of our environment and our community.”
WICO chose to build the new facility in Port of Charlotte Amalie because it was deemed as a perennial favourite of cruise passengers based on exit surveys conducted by the VI Bureau of Economic Research. By building this facility in a popular area, WICO aims to boost the USVI’s cruise industry and remain competitive.
“The USVI’s ports must adapt or become obsolete,” Boschulte said. “As a regional leader in cruise tourism, our job at WICO is to increase capacity at our facility, which translates to increased revenue for our community. We are committed to doing our part to create economic growth for the territory, prosperity for all of us who call the Virgin Islands home, and preserving these islands for the future.”