The Virgin Islands is loaded with iconic properties. This week, we highlight three vastly different real estate opportunities that represent the history, natural beauty, and commercial potential of the territory.
In Christiansted, the market where a young Alexander Hamilton learned the shipping and receiving trade, gaining the skills that ultimately led him to help shape the founding documents of the United States government, is for sale.
The 1777-built, 23,248-square-foot commercial complex at the corner of Kings Wharf and King Cross streets is home to real estate offices, attorneys, and other professional ventures. Realtors for the property said it was 98 percent rented out and has been meticulously kept — with more than $1 million in renovations conducted over the last five years. It features nine bathrooms, at least one of which has a shower.
In the heart of the Christiansted Historic District, the Kongens Gade property has been one of St. Croix’s most important buildings for more than 200 years. Today, it is also one of the V.I. NGN fiber access points, giving the tenants blazing-fast internet, realtors said.
Sellers are asking $7.75 million for the B1-zoned property. As of 2021, taxes were $12,864.96.
On St. Thomas, an entirely different iconic property hides in plain sight. The hillside above Havensight, stretching behind the Mandela Circle Pueblo supermarket to the vast hilltop adjacent to Paradise Point, could be yours for $15 million.
It’s an oddly shaped 16.34-acre parcel of undeveloped land, somewhat resembling a duck. Depending on where you stand, the property overlooks the West Indian Company dock, Yacht Haven, Bluebeard’s Castle, Sugar Estate and points north.
Zoned R3, realtors suggest a would-be developer could help alleviate the growing housing shortage by building condos or multi-family housing. On the less-practical, more-fanciful side, they also suggest the location could be turned into a water park or shopping area. These ideas seem a little far-fetched so close to the ample shopping opportunities of Charlotte Amalie and the endless water-sports opportunities of the Caribbean Sea (as well as the relative scarcity of fresh water!). Non-residential development would likely require a zoning change or approved variance. But certainly, the property offers plenty of room for creativity.
Taxes on the unimproved land were $6,689 in 2022.
The Virgin Islands’ Congressional Delegate, Stacey Plaskett, recently introduced legislation in Washington, D.C., that would limit growth of St. John’s omnipresent national park, saying natural-preservation goals, well-intentioned as they may be, were squeezing out the island’s human population.
One of those rare slivers of available land sits just 50 feet from the placid, north shore waters of Maho Bay.
The 4.5-acre lot is completely undeveloped. It includes a narrow shaft of land connecting to the Maho roadway and then a roughly arrowhead-shaped expanse up the inland hillside.
Realtors suggest the gently sloping property is ideal for a private estate or very small, culturally and environmentally sensitive commercial residential development. Zoned W1, waterfront, any plans to build on the land would need Coastal Zone Management approval.
The $7.5 million property was taxed at $7,404 in 2021.
