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resiliency • prosperity • legacy

Plan Cruz Bay is an opportunity to guide rebuilding, preserve community character and shape public spaces to benefit St. John for generations to come.
Cruz Bay is the historic center of commerce, community services, and housing for St. John. Neighbors support one another, celebrating culture and community heritage. The traditional building pattern features narrow, shaded streets, a variety of building types oriented to sea breezes, and a close-knit community of dedicated residents. The charming, welcoming character of Cruz Bay is reflective of the pride St. John residents feel for their island home.
Recovery from the two back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes of Irma and Maria in 2017 remains very much at the forefront of community life. Many buildings sit in disrepair, government buildings remain damaged, and temporary trailers continue to serve young students awaiting a new school. Additionally, the way people access services and move through town could be improved. Today, taxis line the streets waiting to transport visitors from the people ferry, cars circle town looking for parking, and narrow or non-existent sidewalks limit pedestrian safety.

As rebuilding efforts continue and land is re-purposed, it is important to have a plan in place that reflects the community’s wants and needs for town, so that near and long-term development and reuse can support a more resilient Cruz Bay. By improving daily access to services and safe spaces, capitalizing on placemaking, and prioritizing resident needs, the goal of Plan Cruz Bay is to establish a workable vision that evokes civic pride and provides guidance for future improvements, all while embracing a lasting legacy for generations to come.

 
 

PROCESS

In June 2023 St. John residents participated in a design charrette to share ideas and hopes for Cruz Bay. During this time, the planning team set up a design studio in town and hosted a series of interactive workshops, meetings, and planning sessions. By working on-site, Plan Cruz Bay was created in real time, in public, with continuous opportunities to share and gather community input. The charrette provided a welcoming forum for creative ideas and encouraged immediate and ongoing feedback loops between planners, stakeholders, and the community. Most importantly, it allowed everyone who participated in the process to be a mutual author of the plan, shaping one voice for the future of Cruz Bay. Plan Cruz Bay is the result of over 300 St. John residents sharing ideas and coming together to create a plan for their town.

Not able to attend the charrette community meetings? Watch the video recordings here:

Plan Cruz Bay Presentation February, 2024

Hands-on Design Session June 12, 2023

Work-in-Progress Presentation June 16, 2023

REPORT

The Plan Cruz Bay report can be found here! The report summarizes the input heard from the community, plan recommendations, and implementation strategies.

 
 

COMMON THEMES

Plan Cruz Bay is organized around a series of common themes and is the culmination of public input, technical analysis, and learning from past conditions, current circumstances, and future possibilities. The ideas and community vision are described in detail in the plan report, along with implementation strategies for near and long-term improvements. Illustrations and visualizations are included to expand on plan details and to demonstrate the application of common theme concepts for both public and private properties. In particular, the plan sets forth options and ideas for the redevelopment of government properties to better serve community needs.

 
 

  • Julius E. Sprauve (JES) School Site, Existing Conditions

    As the JES School is relocated uphill, the community’s vision for this key property is centered on redevelopment that includes a mix of uses and civic activity. To illustrate the potential reuse of the property, the team created three initial scenarios for potential reuse of this important space.

  • Scenario 1, Restored Ballfield

    Prior to the storms, the Winston Wells ball park at JESS was a center of community activity and recreation. Scenario 1 features a restored ballfield along with housing, shops, government buildings, a reconfigured roundabout, and rebuilt annex.

  • Scenario 2, Smaller Community Green

    Recognizing the need to accommodate parking in town to better mobility and overall walkability, the potential to redevelop the school site as a mix of uses as well as a centralized parking location is illustrated in Scenario 2.

  • Scenario 3, Green Moved to Hill Street

    Scenario 3 takes a different approach to the redevelopment of the site and features a central green closer to town, on the corner of Hill Street. A central courtyard surrounded by a mix of buildings complements the smaller central green, with parking located below the space.

  • Powell Park, Existing Conditions

    The area around the ferry dock and Powell Park is a hub of activity. To begin to think of this area as a more constant center of activity with a reduction in congestion, Store Kogens Gade should be reconfigured to be more pedestrian-friendly.

  • Powell Park, Reclaim Access to the Waterfront

    Parking is moved off of Store Kongens Gade and Powell Park is better connected to the waterfront.

  • North Shore Road, Existing Conditions

    North Shore Road is a central vehicular and pedestrian connection but limited pedestrian infrastructure exists today.

  • North Shore Road, Potential Redevelopment Along the Creek

    From street improvements to public and private development, the plan demonstrates the incredible potential when a strategy is in place that embraces public improvements and private investment.

  • Existing Conditions, Plan View

  • Illustrative Plan

    The Illustrative Plan provides a high-level overview of potential improvements and short- and long-term development and preservation prospects for Cruz Bay town.

SURVEY

We appreciate your review of the plan report and want to know what you think of the many ideas presented. Please complete the survey and share your feedback!

PROJECT TEAM

Plan Cruz Bay is proudly sponsored by Love City Strong (LCS) to amplify the community’s voice and produce a framework for a more resilient future.  To assist in the effort, LCS engaged a team of recognized local and national experts in the fields of town planning, preservation, and sustainability.  All are familiar with the unique conditions of St. John and respect and recognize the value of community.  The team has successfully worked on plans in the USVI and is currently working together on the territory-wide Comprehensive Land & Water Use Plan (CLWUP). The recommendations from Plan Cruz Bay will supplement the CLWUP; for more information on the CLWUP, please visit planusvi.com.