CZM permit decision to demolish CHS tabled until next month

ST. CROIX — A Coastal Zone Management permit application to demolish and replace St. Croix Central High School was tabled by the district CZM Committee on Thursday night until July 16, after commissioners expressed frustration about having little time to review sought-after information about the project.

Channel Callwood, the architect who spoke on behalf of the Education Department Thursday evening, told commissioners that the project entails building 193,473 square feet — including nearly seven-and-a-half thousand square feet of outdoor learning spaces — to replace the existing 217-square-foot campus. The Central High School rebuild is slated to house the island’s fine arts magnet program.

“These facilities will be state-of-the-art, and they will include a lot of media-related career and technical education facilities,” Callwood said.

Besides traditional art and band classrooms, Callwood said the scope of work includes spaces and technology to support an array of computer science-oriented programs like web design, coding and 3D visualization as well as outdoor areas for agriculture study.