TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Well the demolition on Orient has started

In the article I read in the daily Herald was that they would have restrooms and I thought I read showers too.

Oh, for sure, none of the folks displaced can be happy right now, that is a given. I have no idea about the storage, but there will be restrooms for the entire complex, yes. As far as showers, no idea on that, but I do not recall that any of the 7 displaced restaurants had showers before.

Le String had rest room and shower. I think that was one thing that put them apart from the rest.

OK, I didn't know that. Aloha definitely had a RESTROOM, don't remember a shower though.

Orange Fever advertised facilities, though I never used them:

Orange Fever's beach, it's open every day at 8.30.
For only $ 7, you can have a confortable chair (with umbrella), a free drink (beer, soda, juice, glass of wine or rum punch) and bathroom & shower facilities.
Large choice of Beers for only $3, Frozen drinks (16oz) for $6, Rum Punch ($4), mix drinks ($5), glass of wine ($3).

gary

They did offer a very clean bathroom and outdoor shower facilities.

Thursday 10:22am
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Thursday 3:42pm
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Friday 9:16am
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Friday 9:16am
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Went snorkeling around 1pm I think this picture shows a better over all idea of the demo area.

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Thanks so much for posting the pictures. I know many people will be so interested to seeing the 'progress'.. From the last picture, it appears that folks will be able to walk by on the beach side while the construction is going on, which is a good thing.

Being that this is end of June, demo is just being done and BIDDING for utility work & construction of buildings has NOT taken place (per an article from French side & posted on another SXM site), I am wondering how they will ever get this completely done by November!! Only if SXM contractors & workers are much more motivated than those in USA....never heard of such a major project getting done that fast.

How about the causeway? That surprised the heck out of me.

Causeway was Dutch side, not French side!!!

The publication date of that article was April 13 2015.

Three pictures from Morwaves, taken at 7 am on June 27

we heard that the causeway was done by off-shore workers

I think you are at least partially correct, but it was planned and financed by a government agency or a quasi one. Usually they operate on super slow island time. Just look at the unoccupied government buildings and the when is it ever going to happen? waste to energy plant. I know these are Dutch side projects, but things are pretty much the same on the French side. Just look how long it took to get the road from No 7 to Le Galion started and then completed.

Looks like things are moving along, altho looking pretty bleak. Soon it will be just beach. (I suppose like it was way back when...)
I know it's for the best, but personally I'll miss the funky uniqueness! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" />
Once the new construction begins, I'll start getting excited for the owners of the establishments!

Wishing all the businesses well, of course, but I for one would love if they were all pushed inland 100 yards or so to allow the natural water/ land interface to reemerge. I wouldn't mind walking or have them deliver food or set up a simple/small drink hut like the perch.

Having only been there once, this past March, I think you are on to something! 100 yards might be too far, but even if they placed the building back 100 feet can you imagine how much extra beach area they would have. I like the beach hut drink idea surrounded by palm trees and extra tables to sit at. I think it would look incredible with that added beach front! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

From the renderings, I think the new buildings will be further off the beach, yes. That should help with the erosion at the shoreline.

Anyone on island have any updated pictures from this week to share?

i'll send some in the morning but every thing is gone except brothers and the bldgs for the coolers

OK, thanks for the update..

Saturday 6-27-15
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Monday 6-29-15
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Monday 6-29-15
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Wow, ok, thanks, I think..

Is there room beyond the chain link fence for our morning walks?

Kevin--look at the pictures. It looks fine for walks, other than possibly getting your feet wet from time to time.

If you look at the second picture in the series, you can see a couple walking along the beach. Of course, that can change from day to day, as we all know.

We're gonna miss the old places for sure.
So, this may not be a popular opinion, but Wow - that last picture looks so nice, how about they just clean up the rest of the rubble, and leave it like that... :-)

Wow that just ripped my heart out!!!! Thanks?? Should I say: Great pixx???? Thank you for the up-date. 4 months and counting!

At least they left the trees...for now

Man, that is sad. I'm so sorry to see this, but I guess that's progress. Perhaps it will be better, but somehow I don't think so.

Anyway, Diana and I will be staying at Mont Vernon in Mid-September hopefully the construction will about all wrapped up by then.

Thanks for the updates...

As with any change, it may be better, it may be worse, but it definitely will be different.

John <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Cheers.gif" alt="" />

My thought exactly, wouldn't a pristine beach/dune be nice?

And that, My Friends, is how many of us were so fortunate to have once known this entire beach almost from end to end. No hotels, no bars, no shops, no restaurants, and best of all - no rules. (They weren't needed....) Just a beautiful wide open beach with but one club tucked away just off the sand and just sea grape and occasional other ground cover to add a little color and variety to the various shades of blue and sandy whites!!

And it truly was HEAVENLY!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Joy.gif" alt="" />

I think you took us either the first trip in 83 or maybe it was 85, we first stopped by the salt pond watching the boys in their flat bottom boats pulling up conch, then we had lunch at Pedro's and it was just wide open beach all the way to the other end. Haven't been over in maybe 3 years. Shall be interesting how it turns out

OMGoodness - I can't believe you remember that, and yes, I think it was during your first trip in 1983. Do you remember how terrible the roads (paths?) were and how there was virtually nothing out in that area at all? Pedro's was truly the only show in town.....

Those were some of our best trips to SXM. And do you remember how you and your sister couldn't believe there was no tv at our resort condo? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for all of the pictures! I sit at my desk thinking of memories . . . lunch at orange fever ... happy hour at Le String ... mussels at Andy and Cheryls ... it's hard to see the destruction but the memories will always live on and it's the people that make them! Looking forward to creating new memories in December.

We will be at Club F at the same time and while I too hope things have moved along by then, I won't be surprised if they haven't.

My outlook is more positive. I think that this area had clearly reached the limit of organic growth and the need to implement some planning was clear. Obviously, this is a rather drastic step in this direction, but I feel like steps in this direction were needed and the end result will be a good one.

thanks for the updates!