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Alexander Theater Safe Room & Building Wind Retrofit Project -60% Design Development Package The St. Croix Foundation for Community Development proposes to retrofit the 1954-built theater to serve dual purposes: as a community hurricane saferoom during storms and a performing arts theater and community center in normal conditions. To support these functions, the design will comply with FEMA P 361 guidelines, ICC-500 standards, and other safety requirements. Covering 24,940 square feet of total gross area, 16,895 square feet of net usable safe room occupancy space, and housed on 2 floors of the existing theater and new adjoining additions on adjacent lots. It will safely house 619 individuals during disaster events. By performing the necessary upgrades and retrofits, this facility will be able to accommodate both roles effectively in the densely populated, Christiansted Town. By combining these two objectives, the project leverages limited resources to achieve multiple community benefits: improving disaster mitigation by protecting loss of life, promoting the arts and economic development, and preserving historical heritage. The project is proposed to be located on the following 4 lots: Theater — 22 & 23 Market Street & 38B Company Street (B-2) Parcel A — 38-A Company Street (B-2) Parcel B — 37 Company Street (R-4) Parcel C — 36 Company Street (R-4) Parcel D — 23 King Street (B-2) WPWwnrP The Alexander Theater is situated at the intersection of 23 Market Street and 38B Company Street in Christiansted, a historic town on the island of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. This area is part of the town’s central district, surrounded by a mix of small businesses, local shops, and residential properties. The site is easily accessible and situated within a community-focused neighborhood. Its colonial-era Danish buildings and brick/cobblestone street, reconstructed in 2004, boast a rich blend of history, art, and commerce, making it an ideal backdrop for the theater during non- disaster periods. During times of disaster, important considerations for the safe room’s location include it being located in a denseley populated area, in a census tract that is home to majority LMI residents, highly accessible by public transit. It is the only community safe room slated for construction in historic downtown Christiansted. The design will ensure seamless transitions between its dual functions by adhering to FEMA P-361 standards, ICC-500 regulations, and other safety requirements. The facility comprises a total gross area of 24,940 square feet, of which 16,895 square feet constitute the net usable space for safe room occupancy. This net usable area reflects unobstructed, open floor space intended to accommodate individuals during emergencies and is the basis for calculating the shelter's occupancy capacity at 20 square feet per person, in accordance with FEMA standards. The remaining 8,045 square feet of gross area consists largely of ancillary spaces essential to the safe room’s operations—including mechanical rooms (HVAC), generator and pump rooms, ADA- compliant elevator, storage for food and supplies, and accessible restrooms, to ensure the safe room meets all FEMA and local functional and operational requirements. The project integrates historic preservation with disaster mitigation. It addresses structural and environmental vulnerabilities to protect the site’s heritage while modernizing the facility to serve dual purposes, including fulfilling critical, unmet disaster mitigation needs. facility will incorporate classrooms that serve numerous purposes: as safe room occupancy spaces during disasters, arts education spaces, and as flexible convening spaces for workforce development and other community resilience programs. Following the 2017 hurricanes, temporary shelters were set up across the Territory to house displaced residents. Key sites included schools like St. Croix Educational Complex High School and John H. Woodson Junior High, community centers such as the Hubert Grigg Home for the Aged, and various churches. These facilities, equipped with basic supplies, collectively sheltered thousands—larger schools hosting several hundred people, and smaller centers accommodating 50 to 150 people. Designated safe rooms offer a more reliable and resilient alternative as a disaster mitigation strategy. Engineered to meet disaster-resistant standards, they provide immediate protection during emergencies. Importantly, locating safe rooms outside of schools allows displaced residents to be safely sheltered without disrupting the reopening of schools—supporting both educational continuity and community recovery. This is especially critical in densely populated areas like Christiansted, where the need for secure, purpose-built facilities is high. As the project advances into the Construction Document (CD) phase, the design team will further refine all structural, mechanical, electrical, and life safety systems, incorporating further detailed calculations, specifications, and product selections. This phase will include final load calculations, material performance requirements, connection details, and coordination between disciplines to ensure constructability and code compliance. The facility is being designed to fully meet FEMA P- 361 Safe Room Standards as well as all applicable USVI building codes and requirements. At this stage, there remains some flexibility to incorporate design revisions; therefore, we respectfully request timely FEMA review and feedback to ensure that all comments can be effectively addressed during this critical phase of development.