Government of the Virgin Islands of the United States
During a press conference held Wednesday, the Virgin Islands Department of Health announced plans to begin the demolition of the Charles Harwood Memorial Complex on Monday, April 24, with efforts in place to minimize disruption of daily activities of the school, businesses, and traffic in the area.
Lemartec USVI, the company contracted to complete the demolition work, was issued the notice to proceed in January of this year. This month, Lemartec USVI completed the initial phase of the project which included the abatement and removal of the hazardous asbestos and lead-containing materials and clearing the structures on site. The next step is the demolition of the three-story main building, the two-story annex, and five outer buildings, and the relocation of temporary structures on the site.
For the duration of the demolition, work will be conducted between 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, excluding holidays.
“We are committed to completing the project within the approved timeline by the fourth quarter of 2023. Safety is our top priority and we have taken extensive measures to ensure the safety of staff and the surrounding community members during the demolition process,” said Rosalinda Browne, Disaster Recovery Specialist for the VI Department of Health. “We have also implemented environmental controls to ensure that the demolition process is carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner. We are committed to monitoring for the highest standards of safety, quality, and environmental responsibility throughout the project. ”
Casey McIntyre, Senior Project Manager for Lemartec USVI said the demolition would be conducted in three phases and that mitigation measures were in place for dust, noise, and water runoff.
Phase 1 will begin at the northeast corner of the campus and will include the Old Club House and two other buildings located at the back of the property. Phase 2 will incorporate the annex building and Phase 3 will include the main building. The demolition is slated to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023, towards the end of the year.
Mitigation measures will be implemented to include privacy and dust screens around the work areas, the use of a water dust suppression machine and wind direction monitoring. Lemartec USVI has also developed a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan and will use best management practices such as silt fencing, storm drain sediment covers and track-out prevention, and will monitor and prepare for inclement weather.
“Dust is our highest priority to mitigate on the project,” Mr. McIntyre said. “If we do see wind that picks up too much, if we do see dust, we will stop demolition activities until it is safe to proceed. Really our goal is to keep anything and everything on the site.”
No blasting is planned during the demolition. “It is a demolition where we do take pieces of the building down one by one. That way there is not a lot of impact, no big bangs. It is a fairly slow process to do so, and it mitigates the impact to the community,” Mr. McIntyre said.
The Charles Harwood Memorial Complex was severely damaged in the 2017 hurricanes and deemed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as replaceable.
“We were thrilled when FEMA determined that replacing the building was more cost-effective than repairing it and that new construction would meet current codes and standards,” said VI Department of Health Assistant Commissioner Reuben Molloy. “With a substantial FEMA award of nearly $300 million, we obtained local approval through the federal consistency and environmental historical preservation review processes.”
Adrienne Octalien-Williams, Director of the VI Office of Disaster Recovery called the demolition a momentous occasion and thanked FEMA for its support.
“This was one of the very first projects that was deemed eligible for replacement,” Director Williams said. “Replacement means we get to build brand new, to create a design and a structure that will stand the test of time, and address some of the issues we see with climate change, stronger storms and overall, more challenges to our buildings.”
April 17 & 18 Set Aside for Final Photos
VI Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion noted that demolishing the Harwood complex, a public health mainstay, would be bittersweet for many residents who were born or sought medical care at the facility. During the press conference, the Commissioner invited the St. Croix community to take final personal photos at the Charles Harwood Memorial Complex sign on April 17th or 18th. The site can be accessed through the west-side gate entrance.
“We not only memorialize the past, we celebrate a vision into the future,” Commissioner Encarnacion said. “Go to the Charles Harwood Memorial Complex and take a picture next to the Charles Harwood sign and as you are there, I want you to think about the past and think what’s more to come.”
St. Croix Administrator Sammuel Sanes, who has been part of the community conversations about the demolition, shared a personal story about the former hospital and said he was “stoked” about the rebuild.
Key partners attending the press conference included VI Department of Education Assistant Commissioner Victor Somme III, community advocate Ms. Zena Tutein, Steve Jackson of FLAD, the company hired to design the new Charles Harwood Memorial Complex, and Gerville Larsen of Taller Larjas LLC, local architect for FLAD.
