Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis hosted a meeting Tuesday with representatives from several banks as well as owners of several properties in the towns of Frederiksted and Christiansted as part of his ongoing efforts to clean up and rejuvenate the historic towns.

“Today marks an important beginning in the revitalization of our downtown areas,” Lt. Governor Francis said as he welcomed the attendees. The meeting was held at the UVI campus on St. Croix.

Tuesday’s meeting was the latest in a series of meetings that the Lt. Governor Francis and his office have held that are dedicated to finally addressing the problem of dilapidated and abandoned properties in the historic districts of Frederiksted and Christiansted. The Office of the Lt. Governor has worked in concert with several governmental agencies such as the departments of Health, Planning & Natural Services, Public Works, the Waste Management Authority, the Office of Historic Preservation and Fire Services, with the cooperation of Our Town Frederiksted and the St. Croix Foundation.  In addition, Lt. Governor Francis has personally conducted a walk-thru in both towns and urged the relevant agencies to put up notices and contact property owners whose properties have been deemed structurally unsafe. Having accomplished that, he said his plan is to now work with these owners to help them identify resources that could assist in making the needed repairs.

“Our purpose is not to take anybody’s property from them, but to work with them so we can clean up and beautify our towns,” Lt. Governor Francis said. “This is about the way we want our towns to reflect who we are as a people. So we’re here to provide residents with the right information that will help them make a wise choice that is beneficial to all of us.”

Representatives from Scotiabank, Banco Popular, Bank of St. Croix, Firstbank and Merchants Commercial Bank were in attendance to discuss the many loan programs their banks offer.  Percival Clouden, CEO of the Economic Development Authority, was also there to highlight EDA programs that can assist property owners. Roger Dewey of the St. Croix Foundation and Alphonso Franklin of Our Town Frederiksted were also present.

Lt. Governor Francis said while he understood the financial burden it will take to rebuild or remodel properties in both towns, he encouraged property owners to seek ways to address this problem and to do their part to build up their community.

“Let’s call it an investment and let’s invest in ourselves,” he said.

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