Design rendering of the rebuilt St. Croix Educational Complex, showing the planned modern campus layout for the $224 million redevelopment project now moving into a three-year construction phase. Photo Credit: MCN BUILD.
The St. Croix Educational Complex redevelopment has moved into active construction, marking the latest in a series of groundbreaking ceremonies for hurricane recovery projects and one of the largest school facility investments currently underway on St. Croix.
Sod was turned Friday to signify the formal start of construction on the project, which officials described as both a major education investment and part of a broader recovery and revitalization effort across the island.
Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington hailed the milestone as “the manifestation of a vision of perseverance.” Complex students “deserve excellence,” Dr. Wells-Hedrington declared. That excellence “is worth fighting for,” she continued, while challenging contractor MCN Build to deliver the facility on time.
Office of Disaster Recovery Director Adrienne Williams-Octalien identified a three-year timeline for completion of the entire project. She noted, however, that buildings will be turned over for use as they are completed.
Rather than a wholesale demolition, the new infrastructure will be built in phases, allowing school operations to remain active while construction moves forward. Ms. Williams-Octalien also noted that the SCEC project was the fastest to move from contract execution to project launch among the projects managed by the Super Project Management Office.
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said the groundbreaking was the fourth school project launch in six weeks, placing the SCEC project within a larger island-wide revitalization effort for St. Croix.
“This is for our people,” the governor declared.
Mr. Bryan also pointed to the contractor’s record, noting that MCN Build is working on the completion of the Arthur Richards K-8 school, which is slated for this summer. “We’re not going into a deal with somebody who we don’t know,” he remarked, expressing confidence that the project would be carried out competently.
The St. Croix Educational Complex redevelopment project was approved last November by the Public Finance Authority board, which allocated a maximum cost of just over $224 million. The award marked one of the largest school facility investments underway on St. Croix.
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