We stopped at Aloha yesterday and it was closed and the insides disassembled. We spoke to a gentleman who was inside and he said he didn't know exactly when construction would start and didn't know when they would be able to reopen. He didn't speak much English (French), but he seemed very sad about the whole thing. We feel very bad for Nathalie and all the others who worked very hard to put their places back together after the hurricane only to have this happen. Even though we spend most of our time down on the Club O part of the beach, we very much miss some of our favorite lunch places. While we do enjoy Papagayo and the Perch, there are just so many times we can eat lunch there without wanting a change of pace.

According to this post on tripadvisor construction is to start June 23.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g10..._St_Martin.html

Assuming that information is correct and that all restaurants will have to vacate at the same time, at least now they know.

I did not ask her when construction was starting, but it was a sad to watch her organizing all the 'plates' today.

that picture says it all!!! sad. hope she reopens soon.

Wholeheartedly agree. Of all the restaurants, Andy and Cheryl's was meant to be a beach shack, and it will no longer be that.

I wonder if people here really understand what is happening? In the plans there is drop off parking for 3 buses at a time ( the buses can drop off , go park elsewhere and return to pick up their passengers). These are the large "greyhound" style buses. You think Orient was touristy before wait till the cruise tours start dropping off 180+ cruise passengers at a time. OB will never be the same all in the name of progress. AND now instead of the money being spread out to many 9 passenger bus/taxi drivers it will be given to a charter bus company.

SXM??? Wendell

So I'm guessing the beach will still be open in front of those restaurants during the construction? If not I guess we will expect a influx of cruise ship folks heading to Club O's beach next week? This should make for interesting people watching. Can't wait!

I don't see any cruises listed on the cruise schedule for next week. Are there really none coming or are they just not on there yet?

[/quote] Wholeheartedly agree. Of all the restaurants, Andy and Cheryl's was meant to be a beach shack, and it will no longer be that. [/quote]

The whole feeling of Orient (at least to us) was the individuality of each beachfront bar/restaurant. That ambiance is being taken away now all in the name of bureaucracy and the almighty dollar. Ah, progress, gotta love it. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

This whole thing is starting to sound pretty devastating. The whole bus drop-off idea is going to destroy the entire vibe of this beach. The number of people that are going to pour onto the sands will be ridiculous. Reading this thread will be like watching a train crashing in slow motion. I can understand that they want to build something that has staying-power through hurricanes. But doing so at the expense of the whole nature of this spectacular beach is really, really sad.
The beach shacks made this beach what it is, along, of course, with Club O. And between the Disney-fication of the area with these new sterile buildings, and the huge influx of tourists, nothing good is going to come of this.

My wife and I made our first trip of the week yesterday to OB. We like to get there by 8:30 and enjoy the morning sun and grab some good chairs to begin the day. How relaxing it is! Stopped in at Adam and Eve's later to make our annual purchase of a swimsuit and thank goodness we did. It was her last day open for business before the destruction begins. So sad to see this happen. We have always loved the character of all these shops and eating establishments. I guess all of us are the lucky ones, if you can call it that, as we will all have the memories of how these places were. Other than good memories I don't see much good coming out of all this destruction.

We're hoping that since we go every October, low season, the beach will be reasonably quiet.

Unlike so many here, I have faith in the people who helped make Orient what it is today. The building they are in won't make much of a difference. The buildings will be cold and sterile for about a month and then the talents of the owners and operators will once again come to the fore and we will see their character expressed again.

Yes, it will be hard for the owners in the short term, yes, there will be some long term changes, but some of the responses here make it sound like the plan is to put in a strip mall with a CVS and a Burger King, then make the beach itself into the world's first open air Chuck E Cheese. It is just new buildings.

And the buses and minivans have always brought the cattle from the cruise ships. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" />

I don't see any cruises listed on the cruise schedule for next week. Are there really none coming or are they just not on there yet? [/quote]
check out this link for cruise ships.
http://201.220.14.28/sxm/MainMenu.aspx?ShipScheduleType=2

Talk about Burger King reminded me a Mc Donalds was suppose to open on the French side. Has it happened?

Yes, it's in Marigot, close to where Match used to be, which is now.. sorry?? Super U or something??

Cattle??

We respectfully disagree. It's not just 'new buildings'. It's government-sanctioned sterile cement box buildings that take away the whole 'beach-shack' ambiance. If we want that, we can go to Aruba (no disrespect to Aruba or the folks that love it; but let's face it, it's not SXM). And, if it pans out, there's a big difference between taxis and vans bringing cruise ship passengers and huge tourist buses trucking them in. With the additional expense being spent, you can bet rents will go up and they'll be heavily promoting Orient Beach to the passengers even more so than now. Something tells me they're not just doing this because of hurricanes. We'll see where it goes from here. I guess time will tell whether our ''strip mall' fears are founded or not.

As someone else said, there are already huge tourist busses coming to Orient, to the Palm Beach area, and used to be Waikiki and/or Kakao. I really don't see this changing much as far as cruise ship traffic to Orient. Virtually all of the places that are being displaced do not really have sufficient seats to handle a huge crowd anyway, certainly not in the restaurants. I am with Durathror, I think the complaints of the end of the earth are a little over-reacting. I think the end result will be a better experience for visitors.

On the other hand, I do feel very genuinely sorry for the business owners who will be without income for several months. That will be extremely hard on them.

Agreed! Not many of those packing up this week looked too happy. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" />

Not only will it be harder on them.....you can bet that we all will be paying a lot more for lunches, chair rentals etc. Betting the days of 15-20 dollar chair rental for two with umbrellas will be up at least five bucks. Then of course.....the pricing at the restaurant will have to show the new increase of rent, PLUS the loss months of income. I hope we all will be able to afford going from now on.

With this happening in low season it shouldn't be too much of a set back. Some of those places close during the lowest part of low season anyway.

Does anyone know where to find the thread that had the sketch drawing of the propsed new structure?

The thread you most likely want is: Orient Bay project to start in June

Link to the Overhead, overlaid view of the Project

Link to the View of the Proposed Structure(s)

Was trying to say "thank you" but the message wasn't showing up?

In looking at sketch #3, I must say, I will miss having lunch with my toes in the sand at places like Sun Beach and Aloha!

Where do people get their information that rents, prices for food, drinks, chairs, and other things will be going up? Sounds like pure speculation based on nothing specific. Maybe that will happen, but no one knows anything for sure.

It's just the nature of some people to find fault in anything that is planned to happen in St Maarten. Those same people probably were the ones balking about the proposed causeway before it was built. Now they love it.

I think some people just see it as the "end of an era" - and change can be difficult especially in a place that so many people hold dear. Plus, it is truly sad knowing how hard these businesses worked to recover from the utter devastation of Gonzalo, just to watch it all be demolished again.
Only time will tell!

Well let me put my two cents worth of speculation in then. Over the years I have seen the businesses come and go in that area and each change brought new décor to the existing structure. The creativity of each new owner gave each transformation its own flair. It is my hope that that is what will happen all over again and what looks like a one size fits all design in the artists renditions will be replaced with a new burst of creativities by the new occupants. I think that history may well repeat itself and a new era will be born in that area.

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

I like your positive spin and I agree.

Me too !! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sick.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sick.gif" alt="" />

By your response to me it looks like you agree with me that it's a good thing and you disagree that it is a good thing to the same post. Can't make your mind up??? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

We can only hope that diversity will return once again when the new buildings are finished.

January,

You obviously were talking about my post. I may not be a rocket scientist, but have been in real estate for three decades now, and am smart enough to know thatt when a landlord builds a very expensive building, and adds all sort of parking, someone will obviously have to pay for all this. I will bet my house that the tenants wont be getting this new stuff without a bump in the rent. Higher costs by these tenants will obviously have to be made up somehow. I dont think it will be speculaative to know where this will lead...and it leads right to us! If you can think of other means I would love to hear them

If it was a private investor doing this remodel I would agree. But it is the French government doing this with tax monies so maybe not.

Wow, hold the presses!! For the SECOND time in recent memory, I agree with Scubaman!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Rofl.gif" alt="" /> Since the government is doing the rehab, who knows? They SHOULD keep the rents the same, as they are using tax money to do the rehab, one would 'assume'. It seems like none of the current tenants have been offered a specific lease yet though. I think the most that can be said is that everything is up in the air.