Official transfer of the John G. Eman building to Monumentenfonds Aruba
After one year and 25 days since the signing of a letter of intent to purchase the John G. Eman Bank building on Caya Betico Croes, another important step has been achieved toward the restoration of this beautiful monument in the heart of Oranjestad.
In the presence of the Prime Minister, Mike Eman; the Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and the Primary Sector, Geoffrey Wever; representatives of Aruba Bank N.V.; members of the Eman family; and the board of Monuments Fund Aruba, the official transfer of the Aruba Bank building to Monuments Fund Aruba (SMFA) took place. This transfer comes at a special moment, in the same year as the celebration of Aruba Bank’s 100th anniversary.
At the same time, a lease agreement was signed with Minister Wever for the Central Bureau of Statistics Aruba (CBS) and the Social Economic Council (SER), who will be the future users after the restoration. Monumentens Fund is also still in discussions with potential tenants for a hospitality (horeca) space. This combination of office and horeca functions is ideal, as it allows the monument to be accessible to the general public as well.
Financing
For each restoration project, SMFA seeks financing both locally and in the Netherlands. In the case of the John G. Eman Monument, a subsidy was received from the Government of Aruba to cover part of the purchase. For the restoration, a low-interest loan was secured from the National Restoration Fund (Nationaal Restauratiefonds), co-financed together with Aruba Bank.
Restoration
The next step in the project is the official designation of the building as a protected monument. This process is handled by the Monumentenbureau. While awaiting this designation, Monuments Fund will begin the process of selecting an architect, forming a construction team, conducting research, and working on the final design for the project. Restoration work is expected to begin at the end of 2026 and to be completed in 2027/2028.
Historical value and next steps
The building features unique architecture typical of the 1930s and holds significant monumental value, for which it is expected to receive protection soon. With today’s transfer, the first step has been taken not only toward restoration, but also toward preserving its historical value while simultaneously giving it a new function that will contribute to the revitalization of Oranjestad.
For more information:
https://monumentenfondsaruba.org/john-g-eman-bank-1925/
SMFA extends its gratitude to the Government of Aruba, Aruba Bank, the National Restoration Fund, and the Eman family for their collaboration in making this project a reality and for contributing to the preservation of our past for the future.
