An aerial view of the first phase of Valley View Condos. Photo courtesy of CANI TV.
PHILIPSBURG--More than 1,000 persons toured the first phase of Valley View Condos development in Valley Estate at an open house held by St. Maarten Concrete NV recently.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Franklin David said the turnout “solidifies the need for good quality homes for the people of this country.”
A member of Republic Bank’s team looks on as prospective homeowners at Valley View Condos get information.
A scene during the open house.
Tours of the facility were conducted in groups of two and three recently with Saturday being the busiest period. Mortgage lenders from Republic Bank and senior officials including Senior Team Lead Corporate and Commercial Banking Whitfield Vlaun and Country Manager and General Managing Director for Republic Bank Sterl Lyons were on hand to answer questions and provide financing information to prospective buyers. Visitors were required to wear face masks and sanitise before entering the facility.
“Since St. Maarten was devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017, St. Maarten Concrete Company has tried to find ways to contribute to the redevelopment of the country. Besides our high-quality and low-cost concrete supplied to customers on both sides of the island, we wanted to do our part to contribute to the growing need for a diverse housing market that caters to everyone,” the company said in a press release.
David said it is essential to ensure that while the housing market offered diversity, “we should not reserve good quality homes only for specific demographics. People work hard in this country, and everyone deserves to come home to a beautiful and safe home that they can be proud of, and not have to worry about substandard material that may not be able to withstand strong winds,” he said. “It was amazing to see the high turnout for this project, and it gives me great joy to see their reaction.”
David, whose video of the facility went viral when the company released it days before the open house, said he was happy to give something that was high quality to people that they would be able to enjoy for the rest of their life.
A significant consideration for the developer in offering homes to residents was residents’ comfort after a storm. “I saw many people going to wells to fetch water in buckets and homes were without electricity for months. This is why it was important to me that I build something self-sufficient and hurricane-safe.
Valley View Condos comes with a large cistern that can sustain the complex for more than three weeks and an automatic transfer system designed to switch from utilities company GEBE water lines to filtered and treated cistern water once it senses a loss of water pressure.
Prospective homeowners received an explanation of some of the complex features including the state-of-the-art bio-rock wastewater treatment system, fibre-optic cabling to the homes with 50 megabyte speed provided by TelEm, and a large diesel standby generator to power the entire facility when completed.
The broad open-space design concept of the living area and bedrooms was a hit amongst the visitors, who “marvelled” at the use of space and the privacy the facility provides. The selection of Whirlpool appliances for the kitchen was also a touch that many did not expect.
The second phase of the project will start in 2021.
