PORT MANDAHL
ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
While based in St. Thomas, Vaccarino Associates prepared programming, feasibility studies, and preliminary master planning for a 40-acre mixed-use community at Port Mandahl. The proposal envisioned a small marina, services, retail, a public park and beach, a ferry terminal, and other amenities within a secluded bay overlooking the Atlantic and Virgin Islands archipelago. Five building typologies and a concealed parking structure under the town center were designed to create a pedestrian-friendly realm with elevated views of the marina. Community outreach was central to this sensitive site. We addressed watershed drainage, bio-retention engineering, mangrove mitigation, and soil conservation strategies to reduce impact. Ultimately, strong local opposition halted the project. Today, the beach, salt pond, and mangrove lagoon—protected under the Mandahl Bay Area of Particular Concern Wilderness Preserve—remain undeveloped, serving instead as a natural laboratory for environmental research, education, and recreation.