Could St Croix get a major new resort?

That’s the plan by the government of the US Virgin Islands, which is looking to bring a four-star resort project to the island.

US Virgin Islands Governor Kenneth Mapp said his administration was pursuing a development arrangement with “one of the top nationally-recognized names in the hotel industry” to develop and operate a luxury resort with a minimum of 250 rooms.

Next week, Mapp will name the members of a transaction team for the project, made up of public and private sector experts.

The hope is to build a first-class resort that can attract tourists (and new airlift) to one of the region’s long-overlooked tourism destinations.

“I am convinced that if we are successful, an upscale luxury resort for St. Croix would be in the best interest of the people of the Virgin Islands, and will spur economic recovery on the island,” Mapp said. “Without a doubt, this project would bring much needed jobs, visitors, additional airlift capacity and new revenues into our economy.”

A new resort project would be a boon for the territory, which has struggled to develop new hotels for decades — something that changed last year with the announcement of a significant new resort project in St Thomas.