The building that was the site of St. Maarten’s first forensic lab and professional shooting range still needs to be cleaned up and possibly demolished after the devastation of Hurricane Irma in September 2017. The old Soremar Building on Orange Grove Road was officially opened by then Justice Minister Edson Kirindongo in July 2016. Kirindongo had described the opening of the government-owned building, a project that had been six years in the making, as ‘another milestone in the history of St. Maarten.’ When asked about the status of the building’s recovery, current Justice Minister Cornelius de Weever said, ‘We are busy with UNOPS [United Nations Office for Project Services – Ed.] to determine our needs and the possibility of a multi-purpose building.’ (Rajesh Chintaman photo).
