BILLIONS IN MOTION: USVI shifts recovery into construction with FEMA backing

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. told reporters Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency stands ready to support the US Virgin Islands as its hurricane recovery programme transitions into a construction phase, with billions in federally funded projects now moving from design into active work.

"It's about execution," the governor said at a Government House briefing, citing that morning's groundbreaking for the Yvonne E. Milliner Bowsky School modernization on St. Thomas as proof of momentum. The school project will renovate and expand the campus, update classrooms and facilities, and add a new gymnasium.

The remarks followed Bryan's recent trip to Washington, where he met with FEMA and White House Office of Management and Budget officials. That meeting came after an August 24 FEMA letter that placed the territory's recovery programme under enhanced compliance review, examining project status, pace, documentation, financial oversight and other federal requirements.

Bryan said federal leaders grasped the territory's circumstances following a detailed presentation from the Virgin Islands delegation and backed steps to "ensure the spending and the integrity of the money." They also committed to helping speed up projects delayed by federal regulatory hurdles. The administration reported that roughly $12 billion in recovery projects are currently working through environmental-compliance reviews.

Through Rebuild USVI, the government has signed 12 contracts for 39 projects backed by approximately $13.7 billion in obligated federal money.

One major challenge ahead is workforce housing for the construction boom expected to follow. Bryan said FEMA officials are prepared to help tackle this problem. "We have two weeks to present a housing plan," he noted, suggesting options such as "floating hotels" or worker camps on land.

The administration is already adjusting some projects to reflect years of rising construction costs. The Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital replacement on St. Croix was redesigned to reduce from eight stories to five, though officials said all planned services would remain in the smaller building.

Bryan acknowledged the pressure on contractors managing the territory's recovery portfolio. "Even they are having problems on getting it all together," he said. "FEMA is willing to assist. I think it was a tremendous meeting."