Consigli/Benton Secures Contract to Build St. John’s First PreK-12 School, Julius E. Sprauve
October 14, 2025
Consigli/Benton Secures Contract to Build St. John’s First PreK-12 School, Julius E. Sprauve
ST. JOHN, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – The Office of Disaster Recovery (ODR) announces that, in conjunction with the Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE), it has secured a contract with Consigli/Benton Joint Venture 1 to construct the new Julius E. Sprauve PreK-12 School on St. John.
The $1.3 million contract covers the preconstruction phase, which includes finalizing designs, conducting constructability reviews, and performing value engineering.
“The people of St. John have waited patiently for this moment, and it fills me with immense pride to see this long-awaited investment come to fruition. The funding secured for the construction of a modern PreK–12 campus for the new Julius E. Sprauve School represents more than buildings—it represents progress, equity, and hope for generations to come. With the resources in place, the land identified, and the passion of our community behind us, we stand ready to create history together. This is truly the most significant public infrastructure investment ever made on the island of St. John,” said Virgin Islands Department of Education Commissioner Dionne Wells-Hedrington, Ed.D.
The contract also provides additional funding for early work packages, which may include long-lead-time equipment orders, site preparation, underground utilities, foundation work, and structural steel mill orders. The preconstruction phase is expected to take about ten months. Once the designs are complete, a notice to proceed (NTP) for the construction phase will be issued. This contract framework, based on Construction Management at Risk (CMAR) standards, promotes a streamlined process to meet the project schedule, ensure satisfactory performance, and avoid delays. Once the design and permits are in place, construction should take approximately 38 months.
“Getting to this point has not been a walk in the park. The project had to move through several processes to include the approval of industry standards finalized in 2020, the obligation of FEMA funding in December 2023, the mutual acceptance of the land exchange agreement with the National Park Service in February 2024, and the procurement process, which began later that year in October 2024, said Adrienne L. Williams-Octlien, ODR Director. “As one of the more complex recovery projects requiring collaboration from multiple entities, we are thrilled to launch this essential initiative for the children of St. John and extend our most sincere thanks to FEMA and every single agency, team member, and resident who played a role in getting us to this point.”
The Julius Sprauve PreK-12 school was a part of the St. John mixed-sector bundle and joins other recent awards for bundled school projects from the SPMO such as the St. Thomas Education Bundle, which includes the Emanuel Benjamin Oliver Elementary, St. Thomas Administrative Center, Lockhart K-8, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, Yvonne Milliner- Bowsky Elementary, and the Jane E. Tuitt Elementary awarded in February 2025 to Suffolk-CBNA Joint Venture.
The Virgin Islands Office of Disaster Recovery remains committed to supporting the residents of the Virgin Islands through recovery and reconstruction efforts, ensuring a resilient and sustainable future for the Territory.
The Office of Disaster Recovery
“Building a Legacy of Resilience”
