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Derek Gabriel Commissioner Department of Public Works january 26, 2022 DPW.VI.GOV Chairperson SENATOR SAMUEL CARRION COMMITTEE ON YOUTH, SPORTS, PARKS AND RECREATION PAUL E. JOSEPH STADIUM CONSTRUCTION PROJECT INTRODUCTION Good morning Senator Samuel Carrión, Chairperson of the Committee on Youth, Sports, Parks and Recreation; Committee members; all other senators in attendance today; as well as those in the listening and viewing audience. I am Derek Gabriel, Commissioner of the Department of Public Works. With me today is Chief Engineer Tawana Nicholas. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on our department’s role in the Paul E. Joseph Stadium Construction Project. 2 | P a g e PRESENT STATUS The Department of Public Works (DPW) continues to manage the construction of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium including the Terrence Martin Softball Field, and the Festival Village. Work resumed on October 18, 2021, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reviewed and accepted the No Rise Certificate from the Government of the Virgin Islands to fulfill the minimum criteria for the National Flood Insurance Program. Since then, we have completed concrete pours for the left and right dugout floors, as well as the concrete pour for the left field side of the stadium’s floor slab. The project team has submitted Pay Request Estimate 31 and 32, which reflects the recent construction work and purchase of materials for future tasks. Change Order No. 14, for a supplemental contract in the amount of $4,100,000, from Act 8326, was also submitted for review and approval. The supplemental contract covers changes in the scope that were noted on the revised design drawings dated May 8, 2020; but were not previously included in the cost of the project. The project’s general contractor, GEC, is fully staffed for the construction efforts approved to date, and construction progress meetings are being held on a routine basis. Project meetings with our stakeholders - Sports, Parks and Recreation; WTJX Virgin Islands Public Broadcasting System; and the Division of Festivals - are scheduled as required. We also have continued project coordinator meetings with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources to expedite various approvals and permit process. Building permits, as well as the electrical and plumbing permits, were submitted on December 15, 2021. Most of the permits for the project were approved on January 24, 2022. As of today, we are currently waiting for the project’s electrical permits to be approved by DPNR. The first of the six sections for the right field floor slab of the stadium was poured on January 14, 2022, with the second section scheduled for this Friday, January 28, 2022. Our immediate next steps are to continue with completing the right field floor slab, followed by 3 | P a g e center field stadium floor slab, and then stadium walls for the left field. With the approval of all permits, an updated project schedule will be prepared and submitted with the next senate bimonthly report. The new stadium will provide modern, up-to-date features for spectators and will include a AAA sized baseball field, just over 1,000 seats, a dedicated festival village area with an expanded promenade, and a softball/little league field. We know the community is looking for progress, and we are pleased to say that tangible progress is indeed being made. This project is currently on schedule to be completed by March 2023. However, it is expected to be substantially completed in November 2022. Once completed, Paul E. Joseph Stadium, combined with renovations at the Vincent Mason, Sr. Coral Resort Park and Pool, renovations at the Fort Frederik Beach Pavilion and Bath House, as well as the revitalization of the Midre Cummings Recreational and Youth Facility, the historic town of Frederiksted will have the much-awaited community enhancements our people have been waiting for. DPW is proud of our role on these projects, and we look forward to bringing them to completion for all Virgin Islanders, especially the people of Frederiksted. Thank you for this opportunity to testify and we welcome any questions you may have.