Are there public records, property maps, or satellite images showing construction timelines for Little Saint James?
Executive summary
Public records and maps exist that identify Little Saint James and show its built footprint; satellite and aerial imagery published by outlets and repositories (Google Earth, Reuters, Getty, Newsweek) clearly show the compound and changes over time, and recent drone/photos released in December 2025 give interior and exterior views [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Local property and planning records are available in mapping portals and USVI datasets (mapgeo, Apple/Google maps), though reporting shows redevelopment plans since the 2023 sale have faced delays and as of mid‑2025–late‑2025 there was no visible large‑scale new construction underway [6] [7] [8] [9].
1. Public maps and cadastral records: what exists and where to look
Official and commercial mapping services list Little Saint James and provide parcel-level or island‑level data: Apple Maps and Google Maps include the island entry and satellite views [7] [10], and USVI property portals and mapgeo.io host local datasets that reference the island’s parcels [6]. These sources confirm the island’s basic location, size and status as a private parcel but do not in the cited snippets substitute for formal deed searches or building‑permit files held by the Virgin Islands Recorder of Deeds or Department of Planning and Natural Resources [6] [7].
2. Satellite and aerial imagery: documented changes and provenance
Multiple news outlets and image libraries have published satellite and drone photos showing the compound on Little Saint James across years. Reuters and Getty circulating drone/aerial pictures document the compound and its surroundings as recently as November 29, 2025 [11] [2] [3]. Newsweek and other reporting note Google Earth satellite imagery displaying the compound in 2023 and referencing renovations begun in 2007 that visibly altered the main compound [1]. Commercial stock vendors (Axiom, Getty) also sell high‑resolution aerial footage of the island [12] [3].
3. Construction timeline evidence in public imagery and reporting
Reporting reconstructs phases: Epstein’s purchase in 1998 and major remodeling beginning in 2007 are reported; Google Earth imagery is cited as showing changes such as the addition of a striped, cube‑like building and a golden dome added between mid‑2013 and early‑2014 [1] [13]. That chronology comes from media analysis of satellite imagery and historic planning documents cited by journalists; the precise permit‑by‑permit timeline would require inspection of USVI planning files not fully quoted in these sources [1] [13].
4. Permits, liens and local records reported
Media and encyclopedic entries reference specific local records—e.g., a Recorder of Deeds lien for nearly $40,000 for pool construction at Epstein’s death—indicating the Recorder’s office holds transactional and lien records relevant to construction [14]. Reporting also notes legal and environmental scrutiny tied to construction on nearby Great Saint James, which suggests planning and enforcement records exist with USVI agencies [15] [14]. The exact current permit status for post‑2023 redevelopment is cited in some pages as having applications or being delayed, but the snippets do not reproduce full permit documents [9] [8].
5. Redevelopment plans and the limits of public data
Stephen Deckoff purchased Little and Great Saint James in 2023 and announced resort plans with optimistic opening targets (some reporting cited 2025), and he said architects and engineers were being retained—public statements rather than permit evidence [15] [16]. Multiple sources report by mid‑to‑late‑2025 the redevelopment faced delays and “no visible construction progress” despite filings or planning activity [8] [9]. These sources indicate planning materials may have been filed, but available reporting does not include a full chronology of permits issued, inspections passed or active construction permits [9] [8].
6. New images released Dec. 2025 and what they reveal about timelines
In early December 2025 House Democrats released interior and exterior photos/videos taken by USVI officials in 2020 and more recently; those images provide unprecedented visual documentation of the estate as it stood during and after Epstein’s work, and serve as primary visual records that can be compared to satellite imagery to infer timing of changes [4] [5] [17]. The published images themselves are evidence of structures that existed by 2020; they do not, in the cited reporting, include an annotated, date‑stamped construction timeline from local permitting files [5] [17].
7. Bottom line and how to proceed if you need a full construction timeline
Available reporting and image repositories confirm that satellite/aerial imagery and public mapping services document the compound and its changes [1] [11] [3]. For a definitive, permit‑level construction timeline you must consult USVI Recorder of Deeds records and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources building‑permit archives and compare their dates to archived satellite imagery (Google Earth historical imagery, commercial aerial vendors) — these specific permit documents and their dates are not reproduced in the provided snippets, so they must be retrieved directly from those agencies [6] [7] [1].
Limitations: reporting cites liens, satellite‑based change observations and public statements by the buyer, but the supplied results do not contain a full, cited permit log or complete deed/permit documents; available sources do not mention a complete, publicly posted construction permit timeline [14] [9] [8].