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U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. 4607 Tutu Park Mall Virgin Islands St. Thomas Charles Wesley Turnbull Regional Lib 00805-2254 VI $10,056,864.00 0 $10,056,864.00 Yes The major goal of this project is to recover from damage sustained during Hurricanes Irma and Maria, as well as mitigate future damage to historic & archaeological resources. Based on the current funding offered by NPS, the preliminary budget will include the following activities: Category 1: Repair and recovery efforts at the Government Houses on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. Budget: $1,005,686.40 (10%) Category 2: Exterior restoration efforts at the DPNR Office Building in Sub Base. Budget: $1,005,686.40 (10%) Category 3: Repair and recovery efforts for occupied National Register Sites historic buildings post 2017 hurricanes that were impacted and with a primary focus to the National Register Historic Districts of Christiansted, Frederiksted, Charlotte Amalie and Cruz Bay. Budget: $5,732,412.28 (57%) Category 4: Administrative activities for staffing, compliance, and support services related to recovery efforts by SHPO. Budget: $2,313,078.72 (23%) NOTE: Budget amount for Category 4 (Administrative Costs) will likely reduce after appropriate staff, office logistics and support services are determined. Any remaining balance will be redirected to Category 3 (Sub Grants). In September 2017, FEMA issued major disaster declarations for the U.S. Virgin Islands as a result of damage sustained from two back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes, Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Designated counties for FEMA individual assistance for Hurricane Irma included the islands of St. John and St. Thomas, while designated counties for Hurricane Maria included the islands of St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix. All of the islands were designated for FEMA public assistance for both hurricanes. Within the last year, damage assessments of historic and archaeological sites were conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The preliminary estimates were determined to be $19,774,106.57 million. dollars. The base calculation was based on the RSMeans 2010 Facilities Construction Cost Data, 25th edition. Considered in the calculation were the following: general condition, location factor, preservation factor, state and local taxes, bonds, contractors overhead, contractors profit, contracting method adjustment, and design contingency. This falls short of the available ESHPF grant funds for the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 2018, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the U.S. Virgin Islands as one of its "11 Most Endangered Historic Places," an annual list that spotlights important examples of our nation’s architectural and cultural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. In the National Trust for Historic Preservation's press release designating the U.S. Virgin Islands as one of its 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, it stated "Along with terrible loss of human life and natural ecosystems, the 2017 hurricanes damaged thousands of historic and cultural resources throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. With another hurricane season already here, recovery efforts for these historic properties continue to face significant challenges due to limited materials, financing, and preservation expertise." The historic resources in the U.S. Virgin Islands date to the seventeenth century while archaeological resources date back thousands of years. Thousands of historic and cultural resources were damaged and remain in disrepair, leaving these vulnerable resources to the threat of continued damage from additional natural disasters and exposure to weather as well as the threat of vandalism, theft, and demolition. Limited funding, materials, and historic preservation expertise threaten the recovery of these resources. As explained in the "Need" section, the threat to historic and cultural resources as a result of Hurricanes Irma and Maria led to the U.S. Virgin Islands being listed in 2018 as one of the the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "11 Most Endangered Historic Places." Mitigation of threat will include a variety of activities. For all work funded and conducted by Virgin Islands SHPO, mitigation measures will be incorporated into the repair and recovery activities based on the specific issues at hand. These measures can include stabilization, structural enhancements to better withstand wind-driven storms, flood-proofing, and education. All mitigation work will meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Virgin Islands SHPO will also update its historic preservation plan to include strategies to mitigate damage from future disasters. This program supports the following Department of the Interior (DOI) priorities: • Striking a regulatory balance: Reduce the administrative and regulatory burden imposed on U.S. industry and the public; • Ensuring sovereignty means something: Solidify mutual interests between the U.S. and the freely associated states and territories. • Restoring trust with local communities: Expand the lines of communication with Governors, state natural resource offices, Fish and Wildlife offices, water authorities, county commissioners, Tribes, and local communities; and • Modernizing our Infrastructure: Remove impediments to infrastructure development and facilitate private sector efforts to construct infrastructure projects serving American needs. The tentative timeline is as follows: September 2018: • Funds awarded by NPS • Begin financial systems analysis to determine administrative costs October to November 2018: • Work plans finalized for in-house projects (repair and recovery of Government Houses and DPNR Office Building) and sub-grant program requirements (historic churches and buildings) November 2018: • Additional staffing needs determined February 2019: • Spend plan with funding obligations submitted to NPS • Complete financial systems analysis March 2019: • Additional staffing hired • Sub-grant program requirements finalized • Begin repair and recovery efforts at the Government Houses on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John • Begin exterior restoration efforts at the DPNR Office Building in Sub Base April 2019: • First sub-grant round announced for historic churches and buildings April to May 2019: • First round of sub-grants awarded. Determine if additional rounds are needed and possible with current funding. May 2019 to May 2021: • Monitor in-house and sub-grant activities • Update state historic preservation plan to include disaster resilience components September 2021: • Closeout and final reporting NOTE: This timeline is for planning purposes only. Once ESHPF grant is awarded, Virgin Islands SHPO will work with NPS to finalize a detailed workplan based on funding levels, administrative assistance, and program requirements.