USVI-On-Line

I think this video of "Earl" by gibber161 and suzanna945 shows the Pond Bay Development a couple of times.

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thanks all! caught it on the video! now what!!! that is so sad to see.... nice idea but elsewhere.. like cancun!!! where it belongs!

Let me ask again---what's up with Sirenusa these days?

I haven't seen a thing going on at Sirenusa. It looks the same from afar now as it did years ago. I haven't heard anything about it either.

I will be at the Pond Bay sale!!! I heard about it awhile back, so thanks for the link Pia! I've always got a dozen or so projects on my house that could use material. Funny thing, my husband is one of the electricians that was on the Pond Bay job....they called a week or two ago to see if he could come back in for work. So what do you think that means???? The company he works for declined. They owe too many people money. Not a good thing to do morally, and not a smart business either.

Seeing how these things have played out a couple of times in my lifetime now, don't kid yourself into thinking this will become a ruin. Eventually someone else will come in and clean this project up. It all depends on the bank probably at this point. Can they find a buyer, are they willing to take a haircut, etc. If they properly mothball it, fence it, and get some security on the property, it could sit there for years - which is kind of depressing. But I bet one day they will eventually be finished and occupied - at least some of them. I saw too much of it two summers ago to think it will just be razed.

This does seem to be just the stuff that is being sold, correct? Not the property - or is that for sale somewhere else already?

stjohnjulie wrote:I will be at the Pond Bay sale!!! I heard about it awhile back, so thanks for the link Pia! I've always got a dozen or so projects on my house that could use material.

You MUST report back about the sale!

All of the flooring and nearly all the bathroom fixtures in our former house came from an auction. A high-end building went out of business and we bought stuff at auction for crazy-cheap prices.

I worked with bank-owned assets at my former job and I agree with Anthony. Once the bank gets tired of the cash tied up in loan loss reserves, it will be sold.

Anthony is 100% correct. As a commercial real estate/banking attorney, it will be sold eventually. Since it is in an advanced state of construction, it would be best to have the project completed at this point. If you've ever been to St. Maarten and seen the ruins of Mullet Bay (a blight and a crime ridden area), you will wish for completion of Pond Bay.

alw1977 wrote:Anthony is 100% correct. As a commercial real estate/banking attorney, it will be sold eventually. Since it is in an advanced state of construction, it would be best to have the project completed at this point. If you've ever been to St. Maarten and seen the ruins of Mullet Bay (a blight and a crime ridden area), you will wish for completion of Pond Bay.

Stayed at Mullet Bay on our honeymoon back in the 80s it was a beautiful piece of property.

It still is a beautiful piece of property... I really wish the powers that be could resolve the many lawsuits so that property could be used for something. It's some of the most prime real estate on that island. Sadly, it just stands as a reminder of the high price of hurricanes and greed.

There is a meeting scheduled by the Board of Land Use Appeals to hear the appeal on the Government's decision to prohibit transfer of the building permit.
St John, fortunately, is not St. Maarten, but these are the sorts of projects that will turn it into something similar. I stayed at Mullet Bay in the 70's, but I've had no inclination to return to that island since my last visit in 1981.

Hugo, after many visits to St. Maarten, the last thing I want is for St. John to go the way of gross overdevelopment. However, now that they government has let the project get as far along as it has, it seems most irresponsible to let the buildings sit and rot if there is a party willing to complete the construction already started. They will become an eyesore, a danger and will lower property values to the surrounding area. In my humble opinion, the permits should never have been granted, but what the h*ll do I know? All I know is, the project in its current state is worse than it would be complete.

stjohnjulie wrote:I haven't seen a thing going on at Sirenusa. It looks the same from afar now as it did years ago. I haven't heard anything about it either.

I will be at the Pond Bay sale!!! I heard about it awhile back, so thanks for the link Pia! I've always got a dozen or so projects on my house that could use material. Funny thing, my husband is one of the electricians that was on the Pond Bay job....they called a week or two ago to see if he could come back in for work. So what do you think that means???? The company he works for declined. They owe too many people money. Not a good thing to do morally, and not a smart business either.

Sounds like maybe they were trying to pull some fixtures out ahead of the recivership!

I will report back I often joke I have 'a house that St. John built' My house is a mis-mash of left over materials. I have carpet from a cruise ship and the Westin. An old ceiling fan from the Westin. Tile from the Marketplace. A shower from Maho. Lumber from dozens of various villas. Windows from other villas that have 'upgraded'. It's pretty funny really. I find some real scores at the Dumpster as well. I know, I know, you all must be imagining what the hell my place looks like! I'm not a fancy person, and I can get pretty creative with my finds. I think it adds a lot of charm and I really do live a pretty simple island life. Maybe one day I will build another house that has matching stuff, but for now, this is more than comfortable for me

stjohnjulie wrote:I will report back I often joke I have 'a house that St. John built' My house is a mis-mash of left over materials. I have carpet from a cruise ship and the Westin. An old ceiling fan from the Westin. Tile from the Marketplace. A shower from Maho. Lumber from dozens of various villas. Windows from other villas that have 'upgraded'. It's pretty funny really. I find some real scores at the Dumpster as well. I know, I know, you all must be imagining what the hell my place looks like! I'm not a fancy person, and I can get pretty creative with my finds. I think it adds a lot of charm and I really do live a pretty simple island life. Maybe one day I will build another house that has matching stuff, but for now, this is more than comfortable for me

I used to laugh that my old apt was like staying at Caneel. All my furniture was from one of the Caneel furniture sales.

Is"lowering the property values in the surrounding area" a bad thing??? -- maybe local people will be able to afford land that now only goes to villa developers who never live here or pay income tax here.
I will cerainly be at the sale and glad to pay pennies on the dollar for some useful items that the principals of Pond Bay paid good borrowed money for.