TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin No apartments on the water in Grand Case?

Jeff Berger's newsletter is reporting that the French side government is not going to allow apartments or condos on the water in Grand Case. How can this be? What about hotels like Le Petit? What happens if there is already an apartment there? I don't understand how they can do that. There is no way that the island could support only restaurants along all of Grand Case Boulevard.

And these 'removable' structures they are talking about on Orient, are they talking ONLY where they had removed Aloha, etc?? What about the Five Stars? Will they be allowed to rebuild?

I don't think that we should jump the gun on what will and what will not be allowed. The news I have seen coming from the Collectivite is that this is a proposal that is now open for consultation.

The problem, I think, is that with the uncertainty as to what will be allowed, people are reluctant to invest in rebuilding until things are firmed up.

I agree. I think that things are very much a work in progress.

OK, Berger's newsletter seemed to say it was a done deal..

I think it is easy for some to say that nothing should be built on or close to water again in, for example, Grand Case and Orient, but what would such a policy do to economic activity and tax revenues? No offense to Jeff, but unnamed sources may not have a working crystal ball about how this all plays out.

I would say such a policy would be devastating for both Grand Case and Orient, yes. I also don't understand what the difference would be between an apartment on the ocean in Grand Case, versus a restaurant?

This has been talked about for years and years in Grand Case. Rebuilding is already taking place on the water there.