Renovation and addition of SXM Airport cargo building
By Sonja van der Drift
Taliesin Construction NV has been selected as the main contractor after reviewing 14 bids by various contractors for the renovation of the cargo building at the Princess Juliana International Airport in St Maarten. The selection was based on the contractor’s price, experience and good reputation in large construction projects.
The multi-million-dollar agreement was approved and signed between Taliesin Construction NV and PJIAE NV to start construction work for the renovation of the cargo building. Three other agreements for project management, supervision and steel structure will be signed in the following weeks. The total cost of all contracts is approximately $3.5 million US dollars. Monetary funding started was secured on the international financial market in December 2012.
The renovation of the cargo building is necessary, to improve the position of SXM Airport in the region as a cargo hub as cargo plays a main role for SXM Airport and its core partners, the airlines. Cargo and mail movements at SXM Airport have been increasing steadily over the last years, going from 1,983 tonnes in 2009 to 3,010 tonnes in 2013, a jump of about 52%.
Ground-breaking for the cargo building renovation works is expected to take place this month to be completed in early 2016. It will be a two construction to allow the cargo operators to remain operational.
The steel structure of the new cargo building will be manufactured in the Netherlands, however the existing steel structure is still in top shape and will remain in place, but another steel structure will be added to build a new floor and create eight additional office spaces , cafeteria. more cargo storage and parking areas.