What was this?

[thompson27502]

Across from the lumberyard is an area with stone walls and pillars. Just enough to catch an outline of what used to be a building. Work trucks park there now but what was it on its prior life?

[liamsaunt]

It has always been like that. It is not a ruin, it is an unfinished building. The building is owned by the Penn family, who operate a trucking and rental car business in the space. Inside the lobby for the rental car operation, there is a rendering of what they originally planned to build or plan to build "someday"--the rendering shows apartments in the unfinished level.

It is not uncommmon for Caribbean residences to have an unfinished level.

[thompson27502]

Maybe this is an urban legend, but I heard you don't start paying property taxes in usvi until your house is 'finished'. If so, maybe that's why so much remains 'unfinished'.

[DonnaM]

We were told that islanders don't like to have mortgages so they build what they can and finish it when they can afford to. This was in Anguilla but probably the same on other islands.

[awardb]

I heard the exact same thing (no mortgage, no debt, finish when one can afford to) from Aaron, the owner of the Fish Trap restaurant, who has lived on STJ for many decades. This is why you'll see "half-finished' homes all over the island.