Hopes were high Friday as government and business leaders gathered to break ground for St. Croix's first casino.
Despite Treasure Bay CEO Bernie Burkholder's warning not to pin too much economic hope on the gaming industry's role in curing St Croix's economic woes, attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony were upbeat, the Daily News and Independent reported.
A poster on display said 132 jobs — with a payroll of almost $3 million — would be created when the casino opens, according to the Daily News.
The 150-room Divi Carina Bay Casino on St. Croix's south shore is scheduled to open in the fall of 1999.
Virgin Islands law specifies that casinos can only be built on St. Croix, not on St. Thomas or St. John.