New library estimated at $18 million, to be named ‘National Cultural Heritage Center’ | THE DAILY HERALD

Artist impression of what the library building could look like, which was created to be used as part of a proposal for financing of the construction of the new building and is not the final depiction.

MPs during Parliament’s Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs (ECYSA) Committee meeting.

~ Hoping to open doors in 2023 ~

PHILIPSBURG–Constructing a new library facility for St Maarten, which will be named “National Cultural Heritage Center,” is estimated to cost roughly US $18.7 million and officials are engaged in discussions with the National Recovery and Programme Bureau (NRPB) and has proposed that US $10 million be covered via the Dutch Reconstruction Funds.

“There was no yes or no (from NRPB), but this was our request,” the Library’s Interim Director and Project Manager Pieter Lucas told Members of Parliament (MPs) on Wednesday.

The rest of the financing is projected to come from the NAf. 643,880 owed by government and insurance funds which would amount to a combined total of NAf. 2.1 million. The library is also looking to obtain funds for the reconstruction of its new building via private entities such as banks, insurance companies and the tourism sector.

The new building is expected to be a four-storied structure with parking on the lower level, according to an artist impression put together by architects the library approached to make the proposed drawings. The ballpark construction figure of the new facility does not include parking spaces as this was added after.

The Library Board envisions the reconstructed facility to be modernized and digitalized. In addition to the library, the building will house the St. Maarten Museum and the St. Maarten Archaeological Center (SIMARC) based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) inked amongst the parties in 2018. The facility will also have a 500-seat auditorium café, gift souvenir shop, Automatic Teller Machine and cubicles for visiting- and other businesspersons.

The auditorium is expected to be a hub for the Philipsburg Cultural and Community Center, National Institute of Arts, Charlotte Brookson Academy (CBA) for the Performance Arts and other cultural organisations, Lucas said.

It is calculated that the new facility will need 6,706.25 square metres of space. The intention is to construct the new facility where the existing hurricane-ravaged library is located along with additional adjacent land space, which has been requested from government.

The library has a long lease deed for its current location until 2042. Lucas said the library requested Domain Affairs to transfer “two little pieces” of land adjacent located between the library’s parking lot and Sundial School, which government owns and the parcel of land near the boulevard square area near the library. “That would help us to have some more space to make it the way that we would like to have it and it would have 5,600 square metres,” Lucas noted. Several artist renderings were shown to MPs on what the building could possibly look like. The intention is to open the new facility in 2023, Lucas said hopefully at the beginning of that year.

He said the current damaged building is empty and can be demolished by VROMI.

 

Challenges

Lucas outlined several challenges for the future National Cultural Heritage Center. The transfer of the two pieces of requested land was one of the challenges identified. “A new one that was not foreseen,” is the casino license issued to Rouge Et Noir casino to occupy the former Super Plaza Building. The library was initially going to rent what it refers to as Super Plaza 2, the smaller Super Plaza building. However, this did not work out.

He explained that the library “have a problem” with the relocation of Rouge et Noir in the Super Plaza 1 building (large Super Plaza building) as it is within a certain distance from the library, which he classified as a vulnerable and sensitive building, according to the casino policy.

Another challenge is obtaining a clear approval from NRPB on the library’s proposal that NAf. 10 million in construction cost be covered by the Dutch reconstruction funds. “We need to have a principal approval from NRPB because presentations and talking doesn’t help anyone. We need to have a commitment… Then we will start with establishing a sounding board committee of people from different angles looking at the plans that we are preparing.”

Discussions will also be had with neighbours of the library, talks regarding traffic issues and issues such as licensing, designs, requests for proposals and tender procedures, etc., would have to be pursued.

Sustainability

Lucas shared some of the library’s ideas on how it will be able to sustain its new structure since “if you have a building and no money to sustain it, it doesn’t make sense.”

Lucas said the old library building contains a lot of steel, which has value. “We are requesting with the demolition to separate the steel and sell it.”

The library is also hoping to obtain rental income from third parties as well as from service fees and donations.

The commercial components will include offering private commercial paid parking, from which the library can obtain revenues.

The facility will also have an auditorium with a 500-seat capacity that can be rented for various events; a grand café, where persons can enjoy reading, lounging and socializing as well as a Gift Souvenir Shop, Automatic Teller Machine and individual and corporate services. Lucas explained that St. Maarten is not just a hub for cargo, but also for many persons who visit the island to engage in trade. “They visit the island for a couple of days and they leave. The library will facilitate cubicles for corporate services.”

The facility is also looking into targeting tourists by including visits to the library in cruise packages.

History

The library was established 96 years ago in 1923 and is one of the oldest Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in operation in St. Maarten today. The facility has operated from many different locations over the years. The existing location of the old building on Voges Street was constructed with Dutch funding in 1983. This building survived Hurricane Luis in 1995 and Hurricane Lenny in 1999, but its roof has had “serious issues” since then “and the Library Foundation has been spending a lot of money trying to fix it.”

The building was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and was irreparable. Although staff tried to operate from what was left of the building, in December 2018 the Inspection of Labour and Health and the Fire Department condemned the building as unsafe to work in. “This was a serious issue because it meant that we had to stop library services to the country,” Chairperson of the Library board Paul Martens said.

In March 2019, the library opened in a small location above Adolphus Richardson Office Supply Store on the Walter Nisbeth Road (Pondfill Road) and has been there ever since.

The space is small and cramped for library staff and it means that only some of the facility’s books can be displayed. Accessibility is also not ideal for persons with mobility challenges as stairs have to be used to access the facility.

Martens said many persons are not aware that the library is open. The facility does its utmost to create awareness that it is open. It is also looking to expand its digital book collection and expand on its calendar of activities.

Its Cyber Seniors event, teaching seniors about things such as how to use social media and the Internet, is a big hit. “It is very well attended and seniors do appreciate the fact that they are being explained how to use WhatsApp and Facebook and how to write an email, etc.” said Martens.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/92295-new-library-estimated-at-18-million-to-be-named-national-cultural-heritage-center

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