Uptown Christiansted One Man’s Vision

One Man’s Vision

It takes a man of unusual vision to study the terrain, size up the possibilities, and see the future. It takes a man of even greater determination and drive to maneuver his way through all the obstacles, do an end-run around all the naysayers, and deliver his vision to the public as a finished project. Texas entrepreneur, Peter Zielke, of Z Property VI is just such a man. He has pulled a rabbit out of his Texas ten-gallon hat and is well on his way to restoring and refurbishing a dozen buildings along broken-down Hospital Street, and in the process, extending the historic town of Christiansted past its mighty retail core, up along Hospital Street, to the front yards of Gallows Bay. 

In one whisk of his magic, multi-million dollar wand, he has performed a feat that others have dreamed about for years, melding the two retail centers of Christiansted and Gallows Bay into one continuous flow of beautiful, historic buildings. And he has done it in grand style. 

Of the twelve properties Mr. Zielke is in the process of restoring the one at 67 East Hospital Street, the 1793 Armory,  has already been turned into a beautiful B&B. As its outdoor centerpiece, he has erected three, magnificent 13-foot bronze statues of the USVI’s cultural icons, Moko Jumbies. This stunning work of art was created by sculptor Ward Tomlinson Elicker, and sits out front of the grand dual staircase entrance to the building. 

Across the street at 6A Hospital Street, Mr. Zielke has fashioned a spectacular residence for himself and his wife, the science fiction author, and tech guru, Gabriella Zielke. The Zielke’s have added a lovely garden and courtyard to the historic building. 

Mr. Zielke has also begun work on the former Danish military medical installation, farther east on Hospital Street, the old Outrigger Restaurant that was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. This site has been approved for a gym and community center. On the sidewall of the building, a new bronze, life-like, statue, based on Mr. Zielke’s design, and created by Chinese ancestry sculptor Guangquan Zhao, is that of a bricklayer, standing on a ladder, hard at work on the building. It is a stunning representation of the working man, and a  way that Mr. Zielke has decided to honor the bricklayers for their many years of expertise at plying their craft. The plaque besides the statue is in three languages, Spanish, English and Danish. The Spanish version speaks to Mr. Zielke’s youth which was spent in Mexico, as well as the many bricklayers from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.    

He also intends to build a hotel and marina with a yacht club along the waterfront behind the old Outrigger property.

This is a man with money and class and a sense of history. A rare combination these days.  

Bravo! Job well done! Mr. Peter Zielke.