PORT MANDAHL
ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
When Vaccarino Associates had an office in St. Thomas, we provided programming, feasibility study, and preliminary master planning for a 40-acre mixed-use community with a small marina, services, retail, public park, public beach, ferry terminal, and other amenities in a secluded bay overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and the Virgin Islands archipelago. The design for the development included five building typologies and a parking structure concealed under the “town center” area. This ensured a pedestrian realm with views of the marina to be enhanced from first-floor living and open space, located above the existing ground level. While working for a developer, Vaccarino Associates addressed community outreach for this sensitive site and addressed the issues of watershed drainage design, bio-retention engineering, mangrove mitigation, and soil conservation practices that would be needed to lower the impact. The project was halted by the local residents’ opposition. The beach, salt pond, and mangrove lagoon ecosystems are permanently listed and protected by legislation in the “Mandahl Bay Area of Particular Concern Wilderness Preserve.” The site remains undeveloped and is now a welcomed laboratory for environmental research and education, besides acting as a secluded area for fishing and nature lovers.