Senate Approves $5 million Grant for STX Racetrack

Lawmakers voted on Sept 20th during a regular session in favor of appropriating $5 million to fund the completion of the Randall “Doc” James Racetrack on St. Croix.

In a 14-0 vote, with one member absent with excuse, representatives of the 34th Legislature voted unanimously in favor of the measure, Bill No. 34-0340. The appropriation will be dispersed through the Department of Youth, Sports, Parks and Recreation to VIGL Operations LLC, the owner and operator of the track located by the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Javan E. James with several other lawmakers signing on to support the measure. Senators Angel L. Bolques, Jr., Alma Francis Heyliger, Franklin D. Johnson and Milton E. Potter also signed on as sponsors.

In a press release following the passage of the bill, Sen. James said that the appropriation comes as a result of a recent agreement announced Sept. 15th between the Government of the Virgin Islands (GVI) and VIGL.

Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. said that the agreement clears “all remaining obstacles” for VIGL to rebuild and reopen the track, long damaged by the 2017 hurricanes and its rebuild obstructed by a series of well-documented legal and logistic setbacks ever since.

According to Government House, the agreement stipulates that VIGL will end all involvement with the project at the Clinton E. Phipps project in St. Thomas. In return, VIGL will receive the right to operate video lottery terminals (VLTs) on St. Croix.

The agreement forged between the GVI and VIGL also sets terms on a series of benchmarks for completion, according to Governor Bryan in a statement following the execution of the agreement.

In light of the mid-September agreement, lawmakers special ordered the bill to the regular session held on Sept. 20th. It draws from the Community Facilities Trust Fund, which receives rum cover over receipts through a landmark agreement between the government and Diageo in 2008 under the 27th Legislature and Governor John de Jongh Jr. According to recent budget projections, the Territory received about $2.4 million over the last two fiscal years based on the agreement ratified under Act No. 7012.

Restoring horse racing in the Virgin Islands remains a top priority for both the legislative branch and the executive branch for quite some time on both a cultural level and an economic level since it would bolster the Territory’s deep ties with horse racing with a revenue generating potential for the island of St. Croix.