More Belvedere Home Repairs Completed: Residents Are Happy

Great Bay, Sint Maarten – Twenty-four tenants of Buildings C, D, E, and F of Low Estate, Belvedere received the keys to their apartments in a Key Giving Ceremony hosted by the Minister VROMI Egbert J Doran and the Sint Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF) on January 10, 2023. The keys were the second set handed over, following the finalization of Buildings A & B in October. Some of these units catered to the differently abled residents whose homes were modified to accommodate their accessibility needs. Concerning the handover ceremony, Minister Doran said, 'This is a great feeling to finally have the residents back in their homes. They (residents) were ecstatic as well to be back in their homes.”

According to Minister Doran, this is the first time since the initial construction of the buildings in Belvedere that they have received such a major overhaul. “I would like to thank all the stakeholders involved, namely the Dutch Trust fund that is managed by the World Bank, the Ministry of VROMI, the NRPB staff, and every single stakeholder. A special mention must be given to the Sint Maarten Housing Development Foundation for the hard work that they put into making this a reality.”

The renovation and repairs to sixty-four (64) apartment units in the six residential towers officially began on January 26, 2022. To date, all 64 units have been completely renovated and returned to the residents while some others have received minor repairs and maintenance work. “There are greater things to come. I mentioned that 2023 is a year of change and forward movement. That is the intention and the commitment from the Ministry of VROMI,” stated Minister Doran.

Based on a budget of almost US $5.5 million, the planned works include structural repairs, roof, and electrical work, and installation of doors, windows, ceiling tiles, and plumbing fixtures.