Recently, the Department of Public Works circulated a snapshot project update of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium, shortly after Governor Albert Bryan Jr. spoke to Consortium publisher Ernice Gilbert about the long-awaited project.

At the time, Governor Bryan estimated that it might take until at least the summer to complete, but DPW said on Thursday that work on the $27 million project was scheduled to come to a close by the end of March 2023.

That has not happened – but those of us who live here are accustomed to “island time” and things NEVER being finished anywhere near the scheduled completion date.

According to DPW, the roofs on the stadium’s two stair towers have been installed, the perimeter walls for the stadium’s ground floor have been poured, and work is now being done to prepare for the laying of the floor of the upper concourse.

GEC, LLC is the department’s contractor on the project.

The facility’s design is expected to include over 3,000 seats as part of the baseball stadium with multi-use capabilities, a 750-seat little league field, and a permanent St. Croix Christmas Carnival Village with several permanent vending booths and permanent slab foundations equipped with power, water and sewer hookups for temporary vending booths.

The stadium, which will sit 10 feet above sea level, will have second and third floors. The second floor will host most of the seating, while the third floor will include an area for the media, including broadcast, a VIP section and a center for a variety of activities, among them receptions, parties, meetings and more. The third floor’s balcony will overlook the beach near Fort Frederik — making for a stellar view.

Named after legislator, editor, publisher, and civil rights activist, Paul E. Joseph in 1964, the facility on March 31, 1967 hosted the first MLB exhibition game played in the Virgin Islands when the New York Yankees played the Boston Red Sox. The stadium also hosted cricket matches, with the most notable game being a single first-class match in 2003. This was the first time first-class cricket had been played in the U.S. Virgin Islands.