Governor John deJongh, Lt. Governor Gregory Francis, Theodora Moorehead pose with government officials and Moorehead family members on Monday, June 10, at the official grand opening ceremony & dedication ceremony of the enighed pond marine facility.
The sound of the conch shell echoed over the water as the Mr. B chugged into the Enighed Pond barge facility on Monday morning, June 10.
Emmanuel “Mano” Boyd, on conch, and Shikima Jones, singing both the U.S. and V.I. anthems, helped kick off the official grand opening and dedication ceremony of the Theovald E. Moorehead Marine Facility Administrative Building.
A crowd of about 80 people, including Moorehead family members, some of the late entrepreneur and senator’s prodigies and the territory’s top brass gathered under a few tents at the new facility on Monday morning to officially wrap up the final phase of the decade-long project of moving barge traffic from the Cruz Bay Creek to Enighed Pond.
“It’s almost hard to remember how chaotic it was in downtown Cruz Bay when the barges would load and unload,” said Senator at Large Craig Barshinger, one of several legislators who attended last week’s ceremony.
Construction symbolically kicked off in June 2003 with a groundbreaking ceremony. After extensive environmental work, construction of the cargo port continued through 2006. The facility officially opened to cargo traffic in April 2006 and construction of the administrative building, the final phase of the project, began in 2012.
It is fitting that the new administrative building — which will handle all cargo traffic entering the island and includes modern office space and public restrooms — is named after one of the true pioneers of St. John.
Moorehead, the second St. Johnian ever elected to the V.I. Legislature, served his island from 1956 through 1971. A U.S. Army veteran, for which he served 11 years, Moorehead opened Mooie’s in downtown Cruz Bay in 1956 and launched Moorehead Real Estate in 1966. In 1970, he founded Moore’s Corporation, serving as president and was instrumental to the economic growth of St. John.
Not long after the establishment of the V.I. National Park, Moorehead led a protest against the Department of Interior’s proposal to acquire privately owned property within park boundaries by condemnation. Moorehead both spearheaded a petition and traveled to Washington, D.C. to lobby U.S. Congress to squash the proposed amendment.
Moorehead also had the vision to foresee an active future for what was a quiet, sleepy island during his day.
“This port represents the fulfillment of a 30-year-old dream,” said Barshinger. “Theovald Moorehead had the vision that St. John would grow and grow it did.”
With no airport, the island’s ports are vital to St. John, the morning’s emcee, V.I. Port Authority public information office Monife Marrero, told the crowd.
“There is no airport on St. John so the sea ports are literally the lifeline of the community,” said Marrero. “Prior to this facility all cargo went through a tight space at the Creek. Now St. John has a well developed cargo port and this administrative building completes the project.”
While the idea of relocating cargo traffic from Cruz Bay Creek to Enighed Pond was dream for decades, it was Senator Roosevelt David who helped to craft legislation which allowed VIPA to use federal GARVEE bonds to cover the cost of construction, dredging and mitigation.
“When we decided to go for the GARVEE bonds, it was not a traditional route to take,” said David, who gave remarks during last week’s ceremony. “It was creative financing and it allowed us to get $21 million, the major portion of which constructed this facility. The funds also helped complete the Red Hook facility as well as the modern, state-of-the art building here today.”
David found the ceremony especially moving since it honored one of his mentors, the former senator explained.
“I am electrified to give remarks at this ceremony today,” he said. “This building is named after one of my mentors, who is deeply engraved in my heart. What a piece of history this is.”
VIPA Executive Director Carlton Dowe recognized all of the authority’s employees on St. John, who have been working out of a trailer for years waiting for the administrative building to be completed. Dowe also reminded the crowd of the people who helped to ensure that the Theovald Moorehead Marine Facility became a reality.
“We must give a big applause to Robert “Bob” O’Connor,” said Dowe. “When this was just as vision back in the day, O’Connor pushed this project through. We can’t forget the work of previous VIPA directors including Darlan Brin and Gordon Finch.”
Presenting Moorehead’s daughter Theodora Moorehead with a plaque commemorating the day, VIPA Governing Board Chairperson Robert O’Connor explained how the occasion was special for him as well.
“Theovald was my Boy Scout leader when I was boy and he was a positive part of everything that happened on St. John,” O’Connor said.
Honoring Moorehead set a good example, as the territory could use more men like him, explained Lieutenant Governor Greg Francis.
“Moorehead made all Virgin Islanders proud,” said Francis. “He served his territory and his nation. He was a man of great integrity and that is something that is lacking now in our community.”
Standing next to the modern administrative building, painted yellow with bright green shutters and beautiful native stone work, Governor John deJongh told the crowd to be proud of what has been accomplished at Enighed Pond.
“This shows that we get more things right than we get wrong,” said deJongh. “Several years from now there will be so much activity here, the name Theovald Moorehead Marine Facility will resonate. Today we have seniors and family members who knew him and students who represent the next generation.”
“It’s important to remember who he was and what he accomplished,” said the governor.
Knowing that the facility is official complete would have made her father smile, Theodora Moorehead explained.
“For my father, this was one of his most important projects,” she said. “This was one of his babies. I know he is smiling today.”
Following the ceremony, government officials and Theodora Moorehead gathered at the entrance of the Theovald E. Moorehead Administrative Building with oversized scissors in hand to cut a big red ribbon and officially open the facility.
While enjoying refreshments, guests were able to tour the new facility.
