House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole announced that the House Committee on Appropriations will be accepting Community Project Funding (CPF) requests from Members. This is in addition to the standard programmatic and language-based requests. Each Member is limited to no more than 20 Community Project Funding requests across all subcommittees for Fiscal Year 2027 and there is no guarantee that all requested projects will be funded. The FY2027 CPF process has a limited scope with eligible accounts restricted to those listed in the table below.
Please note:
- Congresswoman Plaskett will NOT accept CPF requests for projects outside of VI-00.
- All projects must meet the relevant statutory and administrative criteria for funding through the grant program under which it is submitted.
- A request submitted to Congresswoman Plaskett does NOT guarantee the project will be selected.
- The selection of a project does NOT guarantee it will be funded by the Appropriations Committee.
- The Committee will NOT provide cost-share waivers and grantees are legally responsible for meeting the non-federal cost share requirements and all other applicable grant criteria.
More information on the process can be found on the House Appropriations Committee’s page. Staff may follow up for additional information to support the CPF request such as budget justification, documentation of community support and need, or proof of ability to meet match requirements once an initial request is submitted. If you have any questions about Congresswoman Plaskett’s project submission process, please reach out to Paige.Clarke@mail.house.gov. The projects submitted by Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett to the House Appropriations Committee are listed below.
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Agriculture, Rural Development / Department of Agriculture, Rural Development / Rural Housing Service, Community Facilities Grants
Project Name: VIDA Agricultural Infrastructure Cistern Project
Project Location: Par. 3 VI Corp (Estate Adventure) and Rem Par 4 VI Corp (Estate Lower Love), St. Croix, VI 00850
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture
Recipient Address: 1 Estate Lower Love, Kingshill, St. Croix, VI 00850
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VIDA) to construct four 100,000-gallon enclosed water cisterns on 147.5 acres of leased farm plots on St. Croix. VIDA manages public farmland leased to eligible residents to support farming enterprises and food production across the territory. Currently, 53 producers on these plots rely entirely on VIDA for irrigation infrastructure. The existing system — sourced from sediment retention ponds and water wells — is vulnerable to saltwater intrusion, groundwater depletion, and daily evaporative loss due to the Virgin Islands' high ambient temperatures. These cisterns will significantly enhance irrigation infrastructure, augment existing water storage capacity, and support VIDA's expansion of leased farm acreage to serve additional producers. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will strengthen agricultural productivity, food security, and economic development in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Agriculture, Rural Development / Department of Agriculture, Rural Development / Rural Housing Service, Community Facilities Grants
Project Name: La Reine Farmers' Market Enhancement Project
Project Location: La Reine Farmers Market, P6HG+Q7W, Route 75, St Croix 00820
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture
Recipient Address: 1 Estate Lower Love, Kingshill, St. Croix, VI 00850
Amount Requested: $500,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VIDA) to enhance the La Reine Farmers' Market in Estate La Reine on St. Croix. For more than sixty years, the La Reine market has served as a vital commercial hub for the island's farmers and fishermen, centrally located to attract residents from every community on St. Croix. Due to its open-air architectural design and 24-hour accessibility, the facility has become increasingly difficult to maintain and secure, resulting in misuse, unsanitary conditions, and safety concerns. VIDA, in partnership with the Virgin Islands Office of Historic Preservation and local architects and engineers, has completed an architectural and design plan for a historically sensitive fence enclosure to secure the facility during non-operational hours. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will restore a safe, functional market environment that directly supports St. Croix agricultural and fishing producers, advances food security, and strengthens a community institution serving the territory for over sixty years.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Agriculture, Rural Development / Department of Agriculture, Rural Development / Rural Housing Service, Community Facilities Grants
Project Name: Sanderilla Thomas Bungalow Farmers' Market Enhancement Project
Project Location: Rothschild Francis Market Square, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture
Recipient Address: 1 Estate Lower Love, Kingshill, St. Croix, VI 00850
Amount Requested: $500,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used to enhance the Sanderilla Thomas Bungalow Farmers' Market at Rothschild Francis Market Square on St. Thomas. The market, which appears on maps as early as 1836 and features a cast iron bungalow dating to approximately 1904, has served as a vital commercial outlet for local farmers and a community gathering place for nearly two centuries. Due to its open-air architectural design, the facility has become increasingly difficult to maintain and secure, resulting in misuse, unsanitary conditions, and recurring safety incidents. VIDA, in partnership with the Virgin Islands Office of Historic Preservation and local architects and engineers, has completed an architectural and design plan for a historically appropriate fence enclosure to secure the facility during non-operational hours. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will restore a safe, functional market environment that directly supports USVI agricultural producers, advances food security, and preserves a culturally significant historic facility.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Agriculture, Rural Development / Department of Agriculture, Rural Development / Rural Housing Service, Community Facilities Grants
Project Name: Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority Compact Garbage Trucks
Project Location: 8467 Landfill Rd., Estate Bovoni, St. Thomas, USVI 00802
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority
Recipient Address: 6196 Estate Glynn, Kingshill, St. Croix, VI 00850
Amount Requested: $716,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) to purchase four compact garbage trucks for waste collection operations on the islands of St. Thomas and St. John. VIWMA is the sole provider of solid waste management services for the U.S. Virgin Islands. The terrain of St. Thomas and St. John — characterized by steep hills, narrow and winding roads, dense neighborhoods, and limited access points — prevents standard full-size garbage trucks from safely or reliably serving many residential areas, resulting in missed collections, illegal waste set-outs, litter accumulation, and public health risks. Four compact 8-yard rear-loader trucks, equipped with four-wheel drive capability and automated cart tippers, will enable VIWMA to access constrained routes currently unreachable by larger vehicles, improve route reliability and service coverage, and strengthen system resilience following storm events. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will directly improve public health protections, reduce dependence on contracted haulers in challenging service areas, and support a more reliable and equitable waste collection system for all residents of St. Thomas and St. John.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Agriculture, Rural Development / Department of Agriculture, Rural Development / Rural Housing Service, Community Facilities Grants
Project Name: Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority Anguilla Landfill Specialty Equipment
Project Location: 6196 Estate Glynn, Kingshill, St. Croix, VI 00850
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority
Recipient Address: 6196 Estate Glynn, Kingshill, St. Croix, VI 00850
Amount Requested: $1,100,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) to purchase a landfill wheel compactor for the Anguilla Landfill on St. Croix. VIWMA is the sole provider of solid waste management for the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Anguilla Landfill accepts approximately 42,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually and currently lacks the dedicated compaction equipment requiredfor efficient, safe, and environmentally compliant operations. The facility operates under a federal consent decree and has experienced multiple fires in recent years, including a three-day fire in April 2025 requiring over 10,000 gallons of water to extinguish, additional closures in early 2026, and an active fire on March 6, 2026, that produced smoke drifting toward the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. A landfill wheel compactor will densify waste to eliminate the oxygen pockets that fuel these fires, preserve limited landfill airspace, enable federally mandated daily cover practices, and extend the operational lifespan of the facility. As the U.S. Virgin Islands are geographically separated by water, dedicated equipment is required at each facility. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will directly protect public health, reduce emergency response costs, and support the Territory's compliance with federal environmental requirements.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Agriculture, Rural Development / Department of Agriculture, Rural Development / Rural Housing Service, Community Facilities Grants
Project Name: Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority Bovoni Landfill Specialty Equipment
Project Location: 9150 Estate Thomas, Suite 210, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority
Recipient Address: Bovoni Landfill, 8467 Landfill Road, Estate Bovoni, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Amount Requested: $1,100,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used would be used by the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) to purchase a landfill wheel compactor for the Bovoni Landfill on St. Thomas. VIWMA is the sole provider of solid waste management for the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bovoni Landfill accepts approximately 42,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually and currently lacks the dedicated compaction equipment required for efficient, safe, and environmentally compliant operations. The facility operates under a federal consent decree. Without a compactor, waste remains loosely packed, creating oxygen-rich conditions that fuel recurring landfill fires — including the September 2023 fire that burned for over a week, triggered a territorial State of Emergency, and cost the Territory nearly $2 million. A landfill wheel compactor will densify waste to reduce fire risk, preserve limited landfill airspace, enable federally mandated daily cover practices, and extend the operational lifespan of the facility. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will directly protect public health, reduce emergency response costs, and support the Territory's compliance with federal environmental requirements.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education / Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration / HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support
Project Name: USVI Healthcare IT Infrastructure & Integrity Project
Project Location: 1105 King Street, Christiansted, Virgin Islands 00820
Project Recipient: Government of the Virgin Islands
Recipient Address: 1105 King Street, Christiansted, Virgin Islands 00820
Amount Requested: $1,300,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by GVI to procure and deploy three critical components of the Territory’s digital health infrastructure: an advanced data analytics engine to identify clinical trends, detect fraudulent billing, and monitor controlled substance patterns across the USVI Health Data Utility; interoperability gateways and APIs to connect non-Medicaid providers to the central Health Data Utility, eliminating duplicate testing and reducing readmissions; and cybersecurity and infrastructure hardening to protect the Territory’s digital health backbone against cyberattacks and natural disasters. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will reduce duplicate testing and readmissions, detect fraud and controlled substance abuse in real time, protect patient data, improve care coordination territory-wide, and expand telehealth access to specialists for residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education / Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration / HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support
Project Name: STEEMCC Healthcare Infrastructure & Access Expansion Project
Project Location: 4605 Tutu Park Mall, Suite 207, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Project Recipient: St. Thomas East End Medical Center Corporation
Recipient Address: 4605 Tutu Park Mall, Suite 207, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Amount Requested: $2,320,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by STEEMCC to renovate dental facilities, procure advanced medical equipment, and implement cybersecurity and physical security measures to expand healthcare access and protect patient data in the U.S. Virgin Islands. STEEMCC is the sole Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving St. Thomas and St. John — an HRSA-designated rural area. Structural flooring issues currently limit the dental suite to one dentist and one hygienist, resulting in wait times of up to six months for dental hygiene and three months for dentist appointments. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will strengthen healthcare access, reduce critical dental and medical wait times, and deliver preventive care to the most underserved residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education / Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration / HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support
Project Name: Ingeborg-Nesbitt Health Center Renovation and Modernization
Project Location: 516 Strand Street, Frederiksted, VI 00840
Project Recipient: Frederiksted Health Care, Inc.
Recipient Address: 516 Strand Street, Frederiksted, VI 00840
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by FHC to renovate approximately 12,750 square feet of the Ingeborg-Nesbitt Health Center, adding 10 medical exam rooms, a dispensing pharmacy, four behavioral health counseling rooms, case management workspace, and a behavioral health manager office; acquire specialized clinical equipment; replace aging HVAC systems; and upgrade plumbing, cistern, and electrical systems. FHC is the only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) on St. Croix, currently serving 9,000 individuals annually. The permanent 2025 closure of the Lena Schulterbrandt Health Center eliminated access for nearly 2,700patients. This project restores and expands that lost capacity, enabling FHC to serve up to 3,000 additional patients annually. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will strengthen primary care access, restore critical health infrastructure, and expand behavioral health and pharmacy services for residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education / Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration / HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support
Project Name: Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute PET/CT Diagnostic Imaging Expansion Project
Project Location: Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute at SRMC, 9048 Sugar Estate, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Project Recipient: Schneider Regional Medical Center
Recipient Address: 9048 Sugar Estate, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by SRMC to purchase a PET/CT scanner for the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute (CKCI) — the Territory’s primary oncology center, recently reconstructed following damage sustained during the 2017 hurricanes. SRMC is the only hospital serving St. Thomas and an important referral center for patients across the U.S. Virgin Islands. Currently, no PET/CT imaging capability exists anywhere in the USVI, forcing cancer patients to travel to Puerto Rico or the continental United States for essential diagnostic imaging, creating delays in diagnosis and treatment planning and imposing significant financial and emotional burdens. PET/CT imaging enables physicians to detect cancer, determine disease stage, guide treatment decisions, and monitor recurrence with greater precision than conventional imaging methods. Establishing this capability locally at CKCI will provide essential diagnostic services to all USVI residents for the first time. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will close a critical gap in cancer care, improve survival outcomes, and eliminate the off-island travel burden that currently delays life-saving diagnosis and treatment for residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education / Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration / HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support
Project Name: SRMC Patient Care and Emergency Response Infrastructure Project
Project Location: 9048 Sugar Estate, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Project Recipient: Schneider Regional Medical Center
Recipient Address: 9048 Sugar Estate, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Amount Requested: $1,050,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by SRMC to purchase essential patient care and diagnostic equipment to support hospital operations and emergency response capacity. SRMC is the only hospital serving residents of St. Thomas and St. John, delivering emergency, inpatient, surgical, and specialty services to a large portion of the Territory’s population. Healthcare infrastructure in the Virgin Islands continues to face challenges from aging equipment, ongoing disaster recovery needs following the severe damage caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017, and geographic isolation. This project will procure 16 ZOLL X Series defibrillators to strengthen cardiac emergency response capacity; three Abbott i-STAT point-of-care blood analyzers to enable rapid bedside diagnostics in emergency, surgical, and critical care settings; 15 patient transport stretchers and 30 stretcher mattresses to support safe patient movement within the facility; and telemedicine carts, cameras, and related hardware to expand access to remote specialty consultation. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will strengthen emergency response capacity, improve diagnostic turnaround times, and expand specialist access for the residents of St. Thomas and St. John.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education / Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration / HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support
Project Name: JFL Advanced MRI Imaging Expansion Project
Project Location: 4007 Estate Diamond Ruby, Christiansted, VI 00820
Project Recipient: Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center
Recipient Address: 4007 Estate Diamond Ruby, Christiansted, VI 0082
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by JFL to purchase and install a 3.0 Tesla MRI system, establishing on-site magnetic resonance imaging capability at the only hospital serving St. Croix’s more than 40,000 residents. Despite serving as the island’s sole acute care facility, JFL currently has no MRI scanner. When MRI imaging is required, patients must be transferred to a private imaging facility on the island, introducing diagnostic delays, increasing hospital costs, and creating inefficiencies in emergency and inpatient care. A modern 3.0 Tesla system offers higher image resolution, faster scan times, expanded clinical applications across neurology, oncology, cardiovascular diagnostics, and musculoskeletal medicine, and advanced deep-learning reconstruction technology. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will close a critical gap in diagnostic services, strengthen emergency and surgical care, and ensure that St. Croix residents have reliable access to advanced imaging.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education / Department of Health and Human Services / Health Resources and Services Administration / HRSA-Wide Activities and Program Support
Project Name: SRMC Clinical Laboratory Infrastructure and Diagnostic Capacity Project
Project Location: 9048 Sugar Estate, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Project Recipient: Schneider Regional Medical Center
Recipient Address: 9048 Sugar Estate, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Amount Requested: $950,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by SRMC to purchase new laboratory equipment that will expand diagnostic testing capacity and strengthen the hospital’s clinical laboratory services. SRMC is the only hospital serving the residents of St. Thomas and St. John, providing emergency, surgical, and inpatient services to the island’s population. Laboratory test results guide approximately 70 percent of all medical decisions, making a reliable, modern laboratory essential to quality patient care. This funding will allow SRMC to replace aging equipment and add new diagnostic platforms supporting microbiology, pathology, blood bank, and routine laboratory testing, reducing the need to send specimens off-island, improving turnaround times for critical diagnostic results, and strengthening SRMC’s ability to respond to public health emergencies and natural disasters. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will strengthen diagnostic capacity, improve patient outcomes, and enhance healthcare resilience for the residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development / Department of Housing and Urban Development / Economic Development Initiative
Project Name: Virgin Islands Supportive Recovery Housing and Crisis Response Project
Project Location: Plot 184, Anna’s Hope, Christiansted, St. Croix, VI 00820
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Department of Health (VIDOH)
Recipient Address: 1303 Hospital Ground, Suite 10, Charlotte Amalie, VI 00802
Amount Requested: $4,500,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by VIDOH to construct 30 modular supportive and transitional housing units on 9.8 acres of government-owned land in Christiansted, St. Croix. The project will establish the Territory’s first dedicated supportive housing campus, including site preparation, utility connections, residential furnishings, connectivity infrastructure, and security systems. The modular design allows for rapid deployment, phased installation, and hurricane-resilient construction — critical advantages in an island community where traditional construction faces significant timeline and cost constraints. The Territory currently has no dedicated supportive housing campus, and 306 individuals experienced homelessness in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2026, most unsheltered. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will address an acute shortage of supportive and transitional housing, reduce homelessness on government-owned land at no land acquisition cost, alleviate pressure on emergency services, and provide a foundation for low- and moderate-income residents to achieve long-term stability and self-sufficiency.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development / Department of Housing and Urban Development / Economic Development Initiative
Project Name: Emergency Response and Community Resilience Facility
Project Location: Enighed, Cruz Bay Quarter, St. John, VI 00830
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority
Recipient Address: 83MJ+Q8 St Thomas, USVI 00802
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by WAPA to construct a resilient, multi-purpose community infrastructure facility on Authority-owned property on St. John. St. John’s geographic isolation, marine transportation dependency, and repeated severe weather events — including outages in February and March 2026 exceeding 40 hours — have left residents without critical emergency resources. The facility will serve three core functions: providing public access to electricity and emergency shelter; serving as an on-island emergency staging hub for secure storage and pre-positioning of restoration tools and equipment; and functioning as an Emergency Restoration Command Post and Alternative Emergency Operations Site for VITEMA, enabling faster interagency response and power restoration. The facility will be constructed with disaster-resilient design and backup power generation. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will strengthen disaster preparedness, provide publicly accessible community resources to residents of St. John, and accelerate economic recovery in tourism and retail, on an island uniquely exposed to severe weather events.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development / Department of Housing and Urban Development / Economic Development Initiative
Project Name: DSPR Athletic Village and Sports Complex
Project Location: The former Elena L. Christian Junior High School, 64 & 65AD Estate La Grande Princesse, St. Croix, VI 00820
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks & Recreation
Recipient Address: William D. Roebuck Industrial Park, Building 1, Suite 1, Frederiksted, VI 00840
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by DSPR to complete Pre-Development and Planning for the DSPR Athletic Village and Sports Complex at the former Elena L. Christian Junior High School — encompassing the formal deed transfer of the property and full architectural and engineering services, including site analysis, structural assessment, design development, permitting, and project management, required to advance the facility to construction-ready status. The full project will redevelop a long-underutilized public property into a permanent, multi-purpose community athletic hub providing St. Croix youth, amateur athletes, and community organizations with access to indoor training facilities for basketball, volleyball, boxing, and wrestling — resources currently unavailable in the Territory. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will unlock a transformative community infrastructure investment, convert publicly owned property into a permanent community asset, and generate new economic activity on St. Croix.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development / Department of Housing and Urban Development / Economic Development Initiative
Project Name: VI Senior and Youth Technology Learning Center
Project Location: 1 Friedensthal, Christiansted, St. Croix, VI 00820
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Next Generation Network
Recipient Address: U.S. Virgin Islands at 2179 King Cross Street, Christiansted, VI 00820
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by viNGN to acquire the property at 1 Friedensthal, Christiansted, St. Croix from the Moravian Church of St. Croix, to be rehabilitated into a publicly accessible senior and youth technology learning center. The building previously housed the Legislature of the Virgin Islands but has been abandoned and deteriorated since Hurricane Marilyn in 1995. Hurricanes Irma and Maria (2017) further closed approximately half of the Territory’s libraries and all public computing centers, eliminating digital access for thousands of residents. The center will provide free, publicly accessible digital skills training including computer classes for older adults, assistive device seminars for people with disabilities, continuing education for military veterans, and afterschool STEM programs. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will permanently address the loss of community learning infrastructure caused by the 2017 hurricanes, convert a long-blighted, storm-damaged structure into a permanent public asset, and provide free digital skills training to seniors, youth, veterans, and people with disabilities across St. Croix — bridging the local digital skills gap and catalyzing economic growth for low- and moderate-income residents.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development / Department of Housing and Urban Development / Economic Development Initiative
Project Name: UVI RTPark Youth Agripreneur Farm and Resource Center
Project Location: Parcels 5-E and 5-F, Prince Quarter, St. Croix, VI 00850
Project Recipient: University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park
Recipient Address: 64 West Palm Drive, Kingshill, VI 00850
Amount Requested: $4,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The requested funding would be used by RTPark to develop and construct a multi-use agricultural workforce training center and community infrastructure facility on a 25.44-acre RTPark-owned site on St. Croix. The U.S. Virgin Islands imports an estimated 90 to 95 percent of its food, and the 2023 USDA Census of Agriculture found that 79 percent of USVI farmers are age 55 or older and fewer than 1 percent are under 35. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will create permanent community infrastructure that directly addresses the Territory’s most urgent agricultural vulnerabilities, establish a structured pathway for beginning farmers, place underutilized farmland into active production, and strengthen local and regional food supply chains for the residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Signed Disclosure Letter
Subcommittee/Agency/Account: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development / Department of Housing and Urban Development / Economic Development Initiative
Project Name: St. Thomas Step Street Revitalization
Project Location: Downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Project Recipient: Virgin Islands Department of Public Works
Recipient Address: 8244 Sub Base, St. Thomas, VI 00802
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Project Description and Explanation: The funding would be used for the design and construction of revitalization work on the historic 147 step streets of downtown Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, including rehabilitation of deteriorated steps and surrounding infrastructure, removal of architectural barriers, and restoration of historic pedestrian thoroughfares. This funding is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will strengthen economic development, tourism competitiveness, hurricane recovery and resilience, and accessibility for residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Signed Disclosure Letter
