Caravanserai starts demolishing,
still waiting for planning permit
BEACON HILL--The first section of Caravanserai Beach Resort was demolished Monday to make way for the resort’s new 42 ocean view timeshare units and 12 hotel rooms, slated for completion in some sixteen months, provided government grants the planning permit soon.
The first phase will include the hotel and timeshare units, an infinite edge pool, a children’s pool and a Jacuzzi.
This phase and the second phase of 20 full ownership condos, scheduled to commence in April 2007, and the some 66 present rooms will increase the resort’s room inventory to more than 200 rooms and bring it into consideration for the casino licence that government has denied so far.
The total resort expansion/renovation represents an investment of some US $25 million, which includes the cost of new buildings and infrastructure works such as roads.
Resort General Manager Ron Verhaar told The Daily Herald government had given a demolition permit and they had taken the decision to begin with the project. Next week the surveyors and architects move to map out the next, possibly five-storey building.
Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) objected to the building height because of the property’s close proximity to the runway, when the planning permit request was submitted last year. However, the resort was given the green light by the Federal Department of Aviation Affairs, which determined the building was within regulation height. The resort presented its case to the Island’s Committee of Experts on June 7 and is awaiting a response from government.
Meanwhile, timeshare units and condo sales have been quite good, especially in the past three months. A total of 630 timeshare weeks have already been sold, along with 10 full ownership condos.
The resort was slated for completion in January 2007. Buyers are not too nervous about the delay and no one has demanded reimbursement, according to the resort. (Alita Singh)
St Maarten vacation rental
