Question: “I’m thinking of building a home. Where would I get a building permit, and find other information about building on St. Croix?”
Chris’s Answer:
The USVI has a Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) whose primary responsibility is to enforce and regulate the local and national building codes and regulations. The web site below is a great place to get started with the permitting process. You will find permit applications and so much more.
The Department’s Vision statement speaks to their relationship with those of us who make the islands our home: “A strong foundation is vital to the construction of any home; the same is true for our community. The Division of Building Permits will ensure that we develop a strong foundation for the future of our Virgin Islands community as we move toward energy efficiency and sustainable development with a sense of honor, integrity and community.”
Maybe this is the year you start the journey of building your dream home on a tropical island.
Promoting “the conservation of environmental resources” is a key element of St. Croix Environmental Association’s (SEA) mission. Did you know that the unique habitats and natural resources of the Southgate Coastal Reserve and other SEA sites help provide a variety of ecosystems that sustain diverse communities of plants, animals, native and migratory birds and marine life? Learn more about SEA’s conservation efforts:
Video of the the Leatherback Turtle hatchlings from GoToStCroix.com below. Read more about it here. SEA occasionally hosts turtle watch events for their members during the nesting and hatching season.
The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) preserve on St. Croix, called Estate Little Princess, is home to the Virgin Islands Coral Innovation Hub, with a state-of-the-art coral laboratory and land-based nursery (opening in Spring 2021) according to the TNC. The Nature Conservancy was gifted the Estate in 1991 to be used in perpetuity for the furtherance of conservation, cultural and educational activities. The Estate has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and will serve as an incubator for innovative approaches to coral conservation and disseminate today’s coral science and technology. To learn more about the TNC’s conservation and environmental research work in St Croix, explore these articles and websites:
Fact sheet: From fragile reefs to endangered sea turtles this Caribbean paradise needs protecting
About their work on the US Virgin Islands on TNC’s website
View photos of the state-of-the-art coral propagation facility and research laboratory on Facebook
Article about aerial remote sensing technologies used to develop first-ever high-resolution maps of coral reefs and other marine habitats throughout the Caribbean basin
Video below was recorded during a TNC expedition, when their coral science team witnessed spawning elkhorn corals that TNC had outplanted at Green Cay in St. Croix in 2012. This indicated that the outplants had grown successfully and were now reproducing naturally on their own. Read more about the work here.
St. Croix is the home to St. Croix East End Marine Park (STXEEMP) — the first territorial park established in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We would like to highlight a few articles and sites that illustrate the organization’s important work of protecting a wide array of wildlife and natural resources found on St. Croix. STXEEMP also provides resources for the community to learn about the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPA).
A rebirth of Frederiksted has been on the horizon for the last couple of years with the opening of new businesses throughout the former sleepy city. However, one restaurant that opened on New Year’s Eve 2016 seems to have envisioned the renaissance of Frederiksted long before anyone else imagined it. Ciboné is the product of the love, time, energy and expertise of owners Greg and Almitra Richards. They always had a passion to own a business in Frederiksted aka Freedom City. “Being originally from Frederiksted, it was always a vision of mine to own a business in the city,” said Greg. “I’ve always liked the industry of fine dining and when I saw the space available one day in April 2016, I knew this was where my restaurant was going to be.”
The restaurant offers an upscale comfortable environment off the beaten path featuring farm fresh cuisine and sustainably caught seafood from surrounding waters. Their sweet and sour whole snapper is often a crowd pleaser and usually sells out in record timing each night. Other favorites include mussels, crab cakes and their seafood paella. For those with a taste for something other than seafood, the ribeye and blackened chicken dishes never disappoint served with a choice of two signature sides. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Ciboné has been able to remain open and retain each member of their staff. “We’ve learned to adapt as quickly as we can because the mandates would change from one week to the next, meaning we never know what to expect.”
Ciboné is located at 227 King Street in Frederiksted serving lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Lunch hours are from 12 noon to 3pm and is currently takeout only while dinner is 6pm to 10pm. On Sundays, the brunch menu is available from 11am to 3pm with popular dishes including seafood kallaloo, deep fried French toast and chicken & waffles. The specialty brunch dish known as “The Hash Bowl” comes with your choice of salmon, chicken or locally caught lobster and pairs beautifully with their bottomless mimosas. Choose from a variety of fresh local juices like watermelon, passion fruit and guava to add a touch of Caribbean flair to your glass of champagne. For more information, visit their Facebook page or call 340.719.2663 for reservations.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
FantaSea Jewelry is the newest addition to St. Croix’s jewelry landscape, combining precious metals and gemstones to highlight the beauty of island life. Owner Nicole Gariepy’s long-time love for jewelry making led her to acquire FantaSea Jewelry in 2016 after running a jewelry business over a seven-year period. She found herself becoming lost in the business side of things. “I was no longer creating jewelry and that was the complete opposite of why I got into the business” she said. FantaSea Jewelry has allowed her to tap back into what inspired her love of jewelry making in the first place.
All of the pieces are made using genuine stones, precious metals and minerals with each collection telling a story that depicts island life. “With my jewelry, I want to capture the magic and the beauty of living on an island.” While St. Croix’s physical beauty is an inspiration to her pieces, Gariepy credits the energy, kindness and authenticity of the people as the driving force behind her collections. After much online success selling her jewelry, a brick-and-mortar location was the natural next step in the evolution of FantaSea Jewelry. When the pandemic hit, Gariepy returned to online sales to stay afloat. However, she knew that having a retail location was great for her business and was committed to maintaining a space on island.
When the opportunity to move into a larger space came along, she jumped at the opportunity because of its strong connection to St. Croix’s art community. Longtime friend Tina Henle of the Henle Art Gallery shared that the Company Street space would be available soon as the gallery was closing after 27 years. That’s when Gariepy’s idea to collaborate with Henle was born. “The Henle art has always been inspired by St. Croix life and life in the Caribbean as a whole and their art ties in with the premise of FantaSea Jewelry,” she said. Now with the new gallery style space, customers can purchase locally made jewelry AND art in one location, which helps support the art community as a whole. “This has been such a meaningful endeavor and with everything happening today, we need people who are bringing beauty into the world now more than ever.”
FantaSea Jewelry is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit their website at www.fantaseajewelry.com for more information.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
