A newly restored commercial space in Christiansted has injected a breath of fresh air in the historic downtown area. The Loft on Company Street is the latest project of Crucian entrepreneurs Danny Deterville and James Eugene. This multi-use loft building is a testament to hard work and determination, housing four unique businesses under one roof which includes an Internet café, open-air courtyard space, loft apartments and co-working space. Their purpose for this building was all about bringing back to our historic towns the energy and prosperity the island experienced in the 1970s and 1980s where people lived, worked and Deterville first identified the building as a potential way to fulfill his dream when he moved back to St. Croix after graduating from college. Over twenty years later, that dream has become a reality. Thanks to financing through the Economic Development Authority (EDA), Deterville & Eugene have developed 50 AB Company Street into a people oriented space for like-minded individuals where collaboration and networking can meet to allow the betterment of the community in a social setting.
Café 50 is an indoor/outdoor Internet cafe that offers coffees, pastries and other light fare Monday through Saturday from 7am to 3:30pm. Social Beer Garden comes to life with its sophisticated ambiance in the open-air courtyard. Tuesday through Saturday, guests can enjoy handmade cocktails, wine and beer while listening to smooth sounds of jazz and Afrobeats music. Live entertainment can be heard several times a month with plans on booking off-island talent to add to the live entertainment schedule.
The added charm of the building is found within the walls of the second floor. Three loft apartments offer comfort and luxury within 600 square feet each. Each space features interior metal flooring, full size soundproof windows, air conditioning, washer and dryer, a fully equipped kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances and dedicated parking. The lofts are rented on a short-term and long-term basis.
The entrepreneur space, commonly referred to as the “E-Space,” is a deluxe incubator facility that features eight-cubicle pods where entrepreneurs and creatives of all specialties can come to grow their businesses and hone their crafts using the spaces. To learn more about The Loft on Company Street, visit the Instagram pages for the various businesses at @Cafe50_VI, @STXLoft and @TheSocial.BeerGarden. You can also call 340.690.0227.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
It’s great to see another article spotlighting St. Croix as a fantastic travel destination! A travel writer from Travel Weekly recently published article where she highlighted her experience on St. Croix and said, “I couldn’t imagine a better spot to reflect on both the tranquil pace of island life and the rich history that had revealed itself to me just a few steps away.”
As the writer pointed out, St Croix currently is “experiencing a bit of a resurgence, with the help of revamped hospitality businesses and pioneering new conservation efforts that are preserving what was always perfect about it.” At the end of last year, Congress designated St. Croix a National Heritage Area, recognizing the unique confluence of historical, cultural and natural attractions (see our article about it here).
Read the full article on Travel Weekly here, where you will find references to the wonderful Alexander Hamilton walking tour in Christiansted by the Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism, a visit to Buck Island Reef National Monument on a catamaran, and learning about coral reefs and marine life and more.
The Thrillist’s recent article shares a common view that many of us who love and live on St. Croix already knows — St. Croix is a desirable Caribbean destination. Compared to the St. Croix’s other sibling islands, it is less tourist and cruise-centric and therefore sees fewer vacationers. However, with less commercialism, St. Croix’s vibrant culture, natural beauty, many outdoor activities make it ideal for visitors. As Realtors, we often meet Buyers from the states select our island for their forever home or as a second home.
As the article points out “[St Croix] a less-visited Caribbean destination is a winner in our books. It also doesn’t hurt that the tropical island abuts a turquoise stretch of the Caribbean Sea or that its 84 square miles offer a mixture of both metropolitan perks and rural retreats.” … “And with temperatures that rarely dip below 70 degrees during any season, travelers can immerse themselves in idyllic warm weather pastimes like boat rides, snorkeling, food tours, nature conservation, shopping at small businesses, walks along the beach, and much more.”
Read the full article to see the Thrillist’s review of St. Croix and suggestions for what to do on island. There are references to some of the wonderful local businesses on St. Croix. Here’s a list:
Our client, who recently bought a condo with our help, shared some photos and information he received from the Schooner Bay Condominium Association. If you haven’t visited Christiansted recently, you will be interested to know that Christiansted is undergoing some major property restorations and renovations! Architect and developer Chris Pardo is in the process of completely renovating the historic King Christian Hotel and the VI Government is completing major work along the waterfront from the fort down to the King Christian. Approaching Gallows Bay, developer Peter Zelke is acquiring and continuing a meticulous restoration and renovation of four buildings along Hospital Street. Here are some photos showing how these projects are coming along.
Below is a view from Fort Christiansvaern toward the beautiful restored facing of the King Christian Hotel. Over the past two years the VI Government has also replaced the seawall and a beautiful walkway has been constructed between the harbor side of the fort and the King Christian. Re-seeding of the park grounds is currently underway.
This photo below features the Great House on the south side of Hospital Street approaching Gallows Bay. Note the unbelievable larger than life size mocko jumbie bronze sculptures. The understanding is that this building will be a high end B & B when complete.
Next is the building on the north side of Hospital Street on which restoration was started this past summer. Every brick is being removed, hand scraped, cleaned and re-mortared back into place by local masons.
This building at the corner of Lobster Street and Hospital Street was most recently (many years ago) a Thai Restaurant and previously home to the now defunct “Miss V’s” Hot Sauce. Exterior renovation appears complete but we do not know of the planned use.
Restoration underway to the Great House on the north side of Hospital Street just east of Savant Restaurant.
There is much excitement and anticipation surrounded the prospects for development on St. Croix! Recently, local officials gathered at an industry forum on St. Thomas and addressed an audience of over 60 professionals including airport operators, terminal developers, contractors, architects and investment bankers. St. Croix will be a key factor in the wider territorial development strategy due to the large potential for growth that exists. The Chair of the Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA), Willard John said “St. Croix is the future of development in the USVI”.
At the forum, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said “St. Croix airport has the most potential.” The revamped Henry Rohlsen airport has completed phase 1 renovation of the domestic passenger lounge and additional private-public funded projects to modernize the airport terminals and infrastructure will be next. There are 400 acres across the road that creates “opportunity galore”, for hotel and other tourism-related business as well as for cargo and other commercial operations according to speakers from VIPA.
In addition, the following expansion and redevelopment projects on island were highlighted by the Governor as “steady tourism development:
The sale and integration of King’s Alley Hotel and King Christian
The recently opened rebranded Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort and Casino
St. Croix’s ever popular Agriculture and Food Fair, also known as Agrifest, has returned with its 51st installment and back to its former glory! Since 1971, this three-day agricultural festival has attracted attendees from all over the world to the island to experience everything rooted in agriculture from locally grown fruits and vegetables to livestock, arts and crafts and local cuisine. Agrifest has returned to its original February dates which occur over President’s Day weekend. In prior years, devastating hurricanes and the recent global pandemic resulted in the event being postponed to Memorial Day weekend. The 2023 Agrifest will take place from Saturday, February 18th through Monday, February 20th at the Rudolph Shulterbrandt Agricultural Complex in Estate Lower Love. This year’s theme is “Agriculture: Growing Today for Tomorrow…You, Me, All Ah We… in 2023.” As food security becomes an important topic withing the Virgin Islands community, the theme shines a light on our need to focus on food sovereignty for locals and residents of the territory.
The rich, cultural experiences of St. Croix’s AgriFest are centered around the four F’s: food, fun, family and friends. Upon entry onto the fairgrounds, a myriad of captivating sights and invigorating smells welcome you with spirited delight. On the west side of the fairgrounds in the main exhibition hall is where the farmers market is held. This is where attendees will see an assortment of fruits, vegetables and spices with an assortment of plants on display and many available for sale. Several exhibits sponsored by local schools, youth groups, the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, and the US Department of Agriculture can also be found on display.
There is no shortage of fun activities for Agrifest-goers. The livestock exhibits feature goats, chickens, rabbits and peacocks. Stop in at the petting zoo for an up-close-and-personal time with island wildlife, have your little one ride a donkey or enjoy one of the carnival rides for an extra dose of fun. Give your ears a treat with the sweet-sounding tunes from local musicians performing throughout the day and learn something new at any of the informational booths throughout the fairgrounds educating attendees on a variety of agriculture-focused topics.
“This is a true Virgin Islands reunion,” said U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture Commissioner Positive T.A. Nelson. “This is where you see it all – our traditions, our food, and our people.” Get your fill of local delicacies: one-pot dishes like kalalloo, red peas soup and crab & rice, sweet treats such as gooseberry and tamarind stews, tamarind balls, vienna cake and butter cookies and hearty plates of roast pork, stew chicken and conch in butter sauce with the crucial Crucian trimmings of season rice, baked macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and potato stuffing. Pair your meal with a tall glass of tamarind juice, bush tea lemonade, ginger beer, peanut punch or passion fruit juice. Come out and celebrate the 51st annual VI Agrifest from February 18th to February 20th. Admission is $6 Adults, $5 Seniors, $4 Children 12 and under; Three days passes are available for $12 Adults, $10 Seniors, $8 Children 12 and under. The fair will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit https://viagrifest.org.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
