June 6, 2002 – In a televised presentation from the Legislative chambers on St. Thomas Wednesday evening, Sen. Adelbert Bryan hailed a project he thinks could solve the economic woes of the territory in general and St. Croix in particular.
Taking his audience on a high-tech 3-D virtual tour as he spoke, Bryan described the Port Anguilla project proposed for St. Croix. The project failed to get through the 22nd Legislature, but Bryan now has legislation pending to finance the endeavor.
The ambitious project would be situated on St. Croix's South Shore. It would include a dock able to accommodate three large cruise ships, a 350-room hotel, a convention center, a golf course, a casino, a marina, residential units and recreation facilities, Bryan said.
Hortense Milligan-Rowe, Bryan's chief of staff, said Thursday that the senator's draft legislation is in the office of the Legislature's legal counsel. It would authorize the Port Authority, the Public Finance Authority and private investors, who helped develop the initial project, to float bonds. Milligan-Rowe estimated the project's price tag at more than $200 million — up by at least $50 million from when the initial plans were drawn up in 1998. At that time Bryan worked with several local investors including the late businessman Mario de Chabert.
Rowe said in 1998 the plan called for:
– $2 million in the first year for a feasibility study.
– $40 million in the second for dredging a bulkhead.
– $70 million in the third year for golf course and inland infrastructure.
– $39 milllion in the fourth year to complete construction.
Milligan-Rowe said the project is one of the initiatives in Bryan's proposed 2001 Sustainable Economic Development Commission, which remains in limbo. Last September, when his colleagues declined to support the commission, Bryan resign his posts as Senate vice president and chair of the Economic Development, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Committee. He later changed his mind about the committee chairmanship.
In a November session, Bryan formally renounced his Senate vice presidency but at the same time got a resolution passed supporting his commission. Gov. Charles W. Turnbull then line-item vetoed the commission and its $650,000 funding.
Some senators who had voted for the commission would not support an override of the governor's veto. No other senators attended Wednesday night's presentation, which was announced as a press conference called by the Economic Development, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Committee.
Milligan-Rowe said, "Because we are in this [economic] crisis, we are hoping to fast-track this legislation. Maybe it's time has come, given the difficulties we have been having."

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