Gov. Bryan Comments on Paul E. Joseph Stadium

St. Croix Times Staff

In a statement issued recently, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability in government operations, including the redevelopment of the Paul E. Joseph Stadium project. He also acknowledged the longstanding frustrations surrounding the project and reiterated that many of the early delays and cost increases were rooted in decisions made under the previous administration, including a complete reorientation of the stadium and the costly addition of deep foundation piling, which added more than $14 million to the project’s cost. 

“Despite these setbacks, our administration resolved major permitting issues, secured FEMA’s conditional approval in 2021, and resumed construction,” the Governor stated. “The progress made on the Paul E. Joseph Stadium to date has occurred under this administration, and we remain committed to completing it.” 

Governor Bryan called for continued cooperation between the executive and legislative branches to ensure the successful delivery of critical infrastructure projects. He brushed aside the criticisms of Department of Public Works Commissioner Derek Gabriel not appearing at a Senate hearing on the matter of the stadium. The Governor stated it was made clear previously that the Commissioner would be unavailable due to personal leave. Nevertheless, the hearing decided to proceed without him. 

“There was never any intent to avoid the hearing,” the Governor said. “In fact, we were actively working with the Committee Chair to ensure the Commissioner could appear at a time that would allow a meaningful and productive exchange. It is unfortunate these facts were not acknowledged during the hearing…Any implication that Commissioner Gabriel intentionally disregarded the Senate’s authority is simply untrue…We welcome continued dialogue with the Legislature and look forward to Commissioner Gabriel’s testimony at the rescheduled hearing.”

The Governor has stated on a previous occasion that the work on the Paul E. Joseph Stadium will be completed by the end of 2025.