Lutheran Social Services of the Virgin Islands, Inc. (LSSVI) is undertaking the construction of a new Sister Emma Cottage on the campus of the Queen Louise Home for Children in Frederiksted, St. Croix.
Sister Emma Cottage provides 24-hour residential care and support for children and young adults with severe developmental and physical disabilities and complex medical needs. The new facility will replace the existing Sister Emma Cottage and provide a safer, more resilient, accessible, and modern environment designed to meet the specialized needs of the individuals entrusted in LSSVI’s care.
The approximately 10,329-square-foot facility is being constructed on the Queen Louise Home for Children campus. The project represents an important investment in strengthening the long-term resiliency of critical social-service infrastructure in the U.S. Virgin Islands and ensuring continuity of care for one of the Territory’s most vulnerable populations.
The Sister Emma Cottage Replacement Project is funded through the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recover (CBDG-DR) Program, administered by the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) in partnership with the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
CBDG-DR funding was made available to the U.S. Virgin Islands to support long-term recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria and to address remaining disaster-related needs while strengthening the Territory’s resilience to future disasters.
Lutheran Social Services of the Virgin Islands is a CBDG-DR subrecipient for this project.
Construction services for the Sister Emma Cottage Replacement Project procured through a competitive sealed bidding process using an Invitation for Birds (IFB).
The procurement was conducted in accordance with applicable CBDG-DR requirements, federal procurement standards, including 2 CFR Part 200, and applicable procurement policies and procedures.
Following completion of the competitive procurement, evaluation, review, and approval process, the construction was awarded to:
Awarded Contractor: Custom Builders
Procurement Method: Competitive Sealed Bid / Invitation for Bids (IFB)
Project: Construction of the Sister of Emma Cottage Replacement Facility
Additional procurement information and documents may be made available on this page as appropriate and in accordance with applicable CDBG-DR public information and recordkeeping requirements.
LSSVI will update this section throughout the life of the project as significant construction milestones are achieved.
Current Status: Construction Phase
Major Project Milestones
Last Updated: August 2026
This page will be updated as major project milestones are achieved.
For more than a century, Lutheran Social Services of the Virgin Islands has provided care and support to children, families, seniors, and persons with disabilities throughout the Virgin Islands
The new Sister Emma Cottage represents LSSVI’s continuing commitment to providing safe, compassionate, high-quality care while strengthening the resilience of facilities servicing vulnerable members of our community.
LSSVI gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority, the Office of Disaster Recovery, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and our many government and community partners who are helping to make this important project possible.
For additional information regarding the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program, program requirements, policies, reports, procurement information, and recovery activities throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands, please visit the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority CDBG-DR website.
