Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "Little Seaside Boxes All In A Row

Plot AW34 on Orient Beach

It was an ordinary day. 7:00 AM and I'm snapping probably my final photos of a series of little seaside boxes all in a row along the south side of Orient Beach in St. Martin known as "petite plages" (small beaches). For years Carol and I have been visiting the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin for vacation and have fallen in love with the charm, uniqueness and funkiness of this island known as "The Friendly Island."

French newspaper photo showing the same area after
hurricane Gonzalo struck this past fall.

As it seems, some of those qualities will soon be bulldozed and forever lost to the visitors and residents of the island for you see, beginning in June the existing little quirky seaside boxes known as plot AW34 Orient Bay, which is part of what is known as The Community, will be razed and new, more contemporary Creole modular buildings will be erected by Semsamar to allegedly create a better experience for tourists who visit Orient Beach.

Rendering of the proposed buildings. This was also
taken from an article in the French newspaper.

Affected current structures will be: Restaurants Le String, Aloha, Sun Beach Clubber, Orange Fever, Ethnic, Chez Leandra, Brothers and Andy & Cheryl's Baywatch. Also affected will be stores and shops: Cluck Beach Shop, Sexy Fruits, Adam and Eve, Good Time Charlies Beach Bar and Luiz's Beach Wear. Many of these businesses have been there since Carol and I started visiting Orient Beach. It has been reported that all businesses will have a chance to rent a space in the new buildings. A French news article stated that after Hurricane Gonzalo, the operators of businesses who are part of The Community, or plot AW34, suffered tremendous damage to their buildings.

This is a front view rendering of what the new building will
appear like when built. Remember to click on photo to enlarge.

They were told to do business this season without performing major renova- tions, for the places will be demolished in order to build the four modules that will hold two restaurants and one shop each. Cost will be 2 million Euros for the project and should be completed by the end of September. An adjoining tourist market and walk as well as restaurants and an 80 space car park will be added. I must admit that the area looks terrible as I am snapping my photos this morning.

Sun Beach as it now appears.

Many have obvious damage that hasn't been repaired, since they were told not to make the major repairs. Every since we have been visiting, the area behind the row of seaside boxes has been a disaster with dusty dirt roads that are hard to navigate due to ruts and ridges and parking is next to impossible to find.

Current showers and bathrooms are in terrible shape.

But, tourists have grown to love the seaside boxes known as AW34. Will rebuilding a more modern facility cause the area to lose it's Caribbean charm, uniqueness and funkiness? Will the soul of Orient Beach be stamped out forever? Will the tourist continue to visit Orient Beach. My answer to the three questions I just posed is Yes, Maybe and No. Carol and I will still visit and hope that our favorite restaurants and shops that now exist will continue in the new modules, but will always remember and have a place in our hearts for the little seaside boxes all in a row. It was another extraordinary day in the life of ordinary guy.

PS - tomorrow's story will deal with our favorite restaurant along this strip and what they can expect.