MARIGOT--On Friday, October 10, the Collectivité and Banque des Territoires signed three loan agreements to finance the construction and reconstruction of two secondary schools and rehabilitation of water and sanitation networks.

Collège 900 in La Savane, currently under construction and which replaced Collège Soualiga destroyed in Hurricane Irma, is to receive 4 million euros. It is built to earthquake-resistant and environmental standards and features, for example, natural cross ventilation and 200 m² of solar panels.

The school is fully connected to meet the needs of the digital age. It is equipped with Wi-Fi terminals and a satellite platform to ensure continuity of communications.

The secondary school also serves as a hurricane shelter. It can accommodate up to 600 people in the event of an alert, and has camp beds stored on site. In addition, a 1,000 m² area on the ground floor can accommodate 250 operational vehicles belonging to the local authority, the fire brigade and the Gendarmerie, to ensure a rapid response for first aid.

"La Roche Gravée de Moho" secondary school in Quartier d'Orléans requires complete reconstruction following the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017. This project creates a modern, resilient and sustainable establishment with a capacity of 600 places, part of which is already in operation.

The school features bioclimatic architecture that complies with earthquake and hurricane resistance standards. It includes a hurricane shelter with a capacity of 300 places. Banque des Territoires is contributing 5 million euros to its financing.

Through its Edu Rénov programme, Banque des Territoires aims to support local authorities in their energy renovation projects for school and educational buildings. The common objective for both projects is to adapt buildings to climate change and meet sustainability challenges.

The Collectivité is also supporting the Water Authority Etablissement des Eaux et Assainissement de Saint-Martin (EEASM) in its renovation of water and sanitation networks. Banque des Territoires is contributing 11 million euros to the project.

"The three projects we are financing are essential for adapting the territory to climatic and societal challenges. The work on the secondary schools embodies our vision of a school infrastructure that is both safe and innovative, while serving as a refuge in the event of a climate crisis,"explained Director of Banque des Territoires, Gisèle Rossat-Mignod. "They are part of our Edu Rénov programme, which aims to modernise educational buildings while reducing their environmental footprint.

"The rehabilitation of water and sanitation networks is crucial for an island where water is a scarce resource. This funding will strengthen the resilience of infrastructure and improve the quality of life of residents. I would like to commend the collaboration with the Collectivité, the State, and EEASM. Together, we are working to build a stronger, greener territory that is better prepared for the challenges of tomorrow."

Said Collectivité President Louis Mussington: "The support of Banque des Territoires is invaluable in finalising these major projects and enabling our young secondary school pupils to benefit from this state-of-the-art infrastructure as soon as possible. The Collectivité and its partners are committed to rehabilitating and modernising its infrastructure to make Saint-Martin a resilient, sustainable and innovative territory."

Collectivité receives 20M-euro loan to support three projects