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

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Thank you for posting the pictures. Things are certainly moving along!
For the owners/leasers, I hope the new construction will go smoothly and quickly. Wondering if there are any drawings of the new plans?

Thanks for posting the pictures. Hopefully they will continue to move along quickly.

Sorry to see that they finally are being demolished. Will miss them and all the memories they have provided my wife and I with over the last 15 years. I have sent you a PM. Click on the flashing envelope at the top left to get my message. Thanks for posting the photos.

I always the old construction was much too close to the beach. Does anyone know if there are plans to set the new construction back at all?

Yes, I've heard the new construction will be set back from the beach a bit and also an 80 car parking area behind the new buildings. I think it will be a good thing and most importantly more sturdy to withstand storms. I just loved it the way it was too, and will be sad they won't be open during our trip in July,

Thank you for the photos.

The drawings online looked that they would be further back off the beach, which should help immensely with the erosion problems also.

From Pedros the first building is gone and they are cleaning it up. They will be working on Andy and Cheryl's next. They are very meticulous as they have a couple of workers picking up the small stuff and taking it to the dumpster. I guess the idea is that only the sand will be left when they start construction. The wireless is very slow here at Club O so I can't even e-mail a picture. I will keep trying.

That is good news, that they are being so careful about it. Obviously having to worry about finding nails, etc., in the sand for years would not be a good thing!!

Thanks for posting the pictures! I am impressed that demolition started exactly on time! Island time is getting more accurate for sure.

How sad looking. Are you able to walk down the beach in front of the construction areas? I apologize if I missed this, but where exactly does the construction start? We will be there in 4 weeks.

The businesses affected are the next 7 restaurants after Pedro's, basically down to Kontiki.. Obviously, as of yesterday, you could walk down the beach in front of the units, as some of the pictures were taken from the beach side. When they actually start construction, not sure whether that will still be the case or not.

Thanks to you & others for keeping us updated. We knew that the changes were inevitable, and our original leeriness has become a piqued curiosity. I think that this whole process was well thought out, and in the end will make most of us happy. At least, there won't be more high-rises.

Thanks very much for the pictures. Our thoughts are with all the business owners and their employees.

You are able to walk on the beach in front of the construction. It looked like Andy's and Cheryl's is down as they move north on the beach (we didn't go all of the way down). The gentleman that works at Pedros was setting up the tables this morning and he said that the government put up the buildings that were there and had the right to change them. If you look at it from the tenants point of view it will be better with more parking for customers.

We will try to see what has gone on today as the day winds to a close. The beach north of Club O is quiet while the beach at Club O is busy. We were amazed at how few people were there today. Well, a little lunch and back to the beach!

The government did not put up the buildings. The investor who leased the land from the person who leased the land from the government did. And the leases to the government ran out. As was found out in the Bikini controversy.

SXM??? Wendell

Wendell--again, Bikini had nothing to do with this. The affected section of the beach was never leased by Luftman, to my knowledge.

Picture taken by JimCandD at 9 this morning, of the demolition of the first building, next to Cheryl's.

The article (in French) from several weeks ago describing this project seemed quite clear in stating that the affected parcel is separate and different from the parcel that Luftman controls. I have no idea who built the structures that are being demolished, but it stated that the new buildings going up will be paid for and owned by the government, which controls this parcel.

The lease for this section were made at the same time.

SXM??? Wendell

Wendell--sorry, you are incorrect.

Cheryl's


Further down the beach

May have been but probably leased to a different person.

They went as far as Cheryls and then skipped a few and started down the beach further. In the second picture you can see them starting to put up a fence to keep the people out of the construction zone.

By the way, we are leaving tomorrow early for a flight to Miami. If there is anyone else on the beach with a camera I would like to see more pictures as the destruction/construction continues. I hope this plan helps the island folks. I remember the first place we ever ate on the beach was Le String and that is where we first encountered Andy. Later on we ate at Cheryls and frequented the shops in back. One of our friends took a chip of paint from Orange Fever since they have good memories there. If you can't post pics, check with Carol like I did and she will magically solve all your problems. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

We were to arrive today but or flight got cancelled and SHOULD be there tomorrow for two weeks. I'll try to get pics on here every day I can. I'm an early bird and my wife isn't so I can take some pics early.

Well... I'm really glad we were able to see Orient this year before the reconstruction! I know some improvements are usually good, but after 30+ years vacationing in the islands, USVI/BVI primarily, I have so many stories of man you should have seen this place back in the day! Can anyone say whether or not ALOHA! has been torn down?

So sorry to hear your flight got cancelled!!! Best wishes for tomorrow and the rest of your trip.

Possibly not as of this evening, but it will go, as will the rest.

We just returned from 2-weeks at Club O, and passed these old places during our early morning walks along Orient Beach. Going by Andy & Cheryl's one morning, I noticed a faded poster of "Andy & Cheryl" still mounted on a back wall. The following week, it had fallen and curled up on the floor - hope someone was able to save it for a memento of good food and fun times.

and all the license plates from those of us who frequented Andy and Cheryl's.....

Seeing the photos of the demolition, with the signs, menus, etcetera, still there, it seems as if the proprietors of the establishments aren't as concerned with the history of the places as we are. You would think they would have taken those kinds of things while they could, if not to use them as artwork in the new buildings, then for sentimental reasons. Maybe I'm just a softie.

Agreed, although it depends on how many signs there were too. As far as Cheryl in particular, I have had no contact with her, but it might be a time for her to put her own separate name (only) on whatever restaurant she re-opens.

DonLinda posted a picture of her going through the plates in her trip report:

http://donlinda.net/SXM2015/index.htm

When you lose your loved one, only you can determine when it's "time" to do anything.

I certainly wasn't implying that Cheryl needed or wanted to consult with anyone else, especially me, just a possible explanation for why she would not have taken some of those items as momentos, or to put up in the new place.

I wonder why those guys aren't auctioning off all those tidbits of memorabilia to the TTOLers and other who are lamenting the change? Want the "A" of Aloha? Here it is! Like Leandras wraps? get a chunk of menu board listing wrap options! Pay now, pick it up next time you're on island!

Do you really think they care about the few that feel as you? All they care about is getting it done and getting back to business. I would be the same if in their shoes.

I doubt that any of the restaurant and shop owners involved are very happy about what is happening to them. Talking to a few of them back in March, they were very upset about what was ''rumored'' to be taking place. Each of them worked their butts off over the years to make their establishments what they are/were today. The thoughts of them losing months of income....and seeing their hard work leveled by bulldozers have to be the hardest thing for them to bare. Each, had their own distinct shack that they could do basically what they wanted to do. One thing that I haven't seen mentioned here, or anywhere else....will these new buildings allow for ''storage'' of the umbrellas and chairs???? Will they all be equipped with ''bathroom facilities, showers, etc?

Hopefully, this all will work for them....but I think that they all going into the ''world of the unknown''.