Daily News Photo by NICK SCHNEEMAN The Lucky Iguana Visitor's Center opened last week next to Market Square in Charlotte Amalie.

A new tourist-service business has opened in Market Square, where its owners hope it will help revitalize the historic area.

The Lucky Iguana Visitor Center offers an Internet cafe, eatery, video-lottery terminals, luggage storage and a concierge desk to visitors. In addition, handcrafted souvenirs will be sold, and phones, wire money transfers and an ATM will be available.

The business is located in a century-old building that served as Allan George's Grocery from the 1920s, and later, as a china shop and then a First Federal Bank. Owner Denise George-Counts, an assistant attorney general with the V.I. Justice Department, is the granddaughter of Allan George.

George-Counts said she is working with other nearby businesses to form a Market Square Business Coalition, as well as with taxi associations to deliver visitors to the square. "We're hoping that this could be the start of revitalizing the area and making it a tourism attraction," she said. "It's a cultural center."

The business strives for a West Indian ambience, with exposed brick and stone arches, decorative madras plaid touches and traditional breakfast offerings like dumb bread and cheese and bush tea.

Allegra Kean-Moorehead of the V.I. Tourism Department and Derek Gabriel of Sen. Shawn-Michael Malone's office expressed support for the Lucky Iguana Visitor Center Thursday at a press conference introducing the venture.

Chioke Jackson will serve as the visitor center's operations manager.

- Contact Lynn Freehill at 774-8772 ext. 311 or e-mail lfreehill@dailynews.vi.