The post office building on East Hill Street.
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
MOULD and a broken air-conditioning system could soon be problems of the past for General Post Office workers, with press secretary Anthony Newbold revealing yesterday that Cabinet has decided to relocate the institution to the old Phil’s food store building on Gladstone Road.
The government acquired the building through compulsory acquisition, Mr Newbold said. He could not say how much it will cost to renovate the building or when workers will officially relocate.
“The long nightmare that the staff at the General Post Office has been enduring for at least the last five years is about to come to an end,” he said during yesterday’s press briefing.
“The Cabinet has decided by compulsory acquisition to acquire the former Phil’s building on Gladstone Road and to retrofit it to accommodate the General Post Office. What it will cost to do that, the amount of time it will take, the Ministry of Works will have to go in there and make a determination. I know we all remember the sit-outs, the mould, the lack of air conditioning. Those will be a thing of the past once the government is able to get this building and do the work that needs to be done with it.”
Previously, the Christie administration launched a public private partnership (PPP) to relocate the office to the Independence Drive Shopping Centre off Tonique Williams Darling.
However, the Minnis administration halted that project last year, with Works Minister Desmond Bannister saying it received the green light without approved plans or a building permit for construction.
He said though technical officers at the Ministry of Works advised the administration a traffic impact study was needed, none was performed and nor did the government determine if ground contamination from the nearby gas station would occur.
Environmental and social assessments were also not conducted.
Yesterday, officials could not say what will become of that PPP arrangement. “There may be other uses,” one official said, adding a determination has to be made.
Reporters asked Mr Newbold if the Gladstone Road location location is conducive for many of the people who will be accessing the General Post Office.
“Everyone will have to make a way to get to the post office,” he said. “We got to do something for those people in the post office. Right now that appears to be the best option and so the good thing about it is it’s on a major roadway. Buses run there for people who need to get there but it’s also a busy roadway. A lot of people coming from the southwest got to pass the post office either to go to work or to go home. How permanent it’s going to be I can’t say but at the present time that is the best option; good size, good space.”
For many months General Post Office workers have worked shortened shifts at their East Hill Street location because of the “hazardous” conditions, including a malfunctioned air conditioner and a mould infestation problem.
Last year Bahamas Chamber of Commerce CEO Edison Sumner said the shortened work hours were a “pretty vexing issue” for a number of businesses.
Comments
realitycheck242 6 years ago
Good Move with the compulsory acquisition of the gladstone road property. This seams to be one of the properties that was acquired with a BOB toxic loan and was turned over to the Special purpose vehicle Resolve Bahamas LTD and the last owner has failed to meet the payments. Let the acquition of this resolve property be president setting on the entire resolve portfolio.Dead beats should be made to pay up or face seizure of their assets.It is past time for the political croonies to face the music Renovation cost would be much less than building a post office from scratch and there is ample parking. The only down side is it is outside of the city limits
Sickened 6 years ago
Now they just need to make gladstone road two lanes in each direction and fix the stupid single lane going into that round about by the lake.
by Sickened
sealice 6 years ago
Oh Yea - i mean i feel for the employees but this although cheap will just have more bahamians already dependant on fossil fuels buring more to go waste paper mailing something.. Way to stick to your manifesto FNM... so much for reduction of fossil fuel dependence and our environment.
joeblow 6 years ago
The old post office should be converted to a hospital (on budget) to address women and child health issues. That would automatically create more room at PMH for expansion of other services!
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years ago
Phil Lightbourn was always nothing but a compulsive gambler who lost everything once Ben Frisch of Beaver Street Fisheries in Jacksonville, Florida had had enough of him (and the Bahamas) and sold the once very lucrative Bahamas Food Services to Sysco Foods, a publicly listed corporation in the U.S. Frisch knew when he left the Bahamas that Phil Lightbourn would quickly be left with little more than his ornately gold capped teeth, and deservedly so. Before falling flat on his face though, Phil was able to stiff BoB with unpaid loans totaling many millions of dollars, thanks in large part to Hubiggity and Vomit keeping BoB's doors open for the worst kind of lending to cronies. This is all pretty much common knowledge throughout the inner corridors of the downtown business and political community. The old Phil's Food Store building on Gladstone road is about as run down as the General Post Office is on East Hill Street. What a joke!
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
Good idea to relocate the General Post Office .......... but Town Centre Mall would have been a better site ....... Gladstone Road is far off the beaten path for downtown PO box holders and other businesses who were accustomed to going downtown.
As for the old PO building ...... Perfect site for new Parliament and PM's official residence.
stillwaters 6 years ago
Towne Center Mall would have been a conflict of interest for Brent Symonette
ohdrap4 6 years ago
and also a traffic naightmare and parking nightmare.
i avoid going there because of inadequate parking.
sheeprunner12 6 years ago
But relieving a PLP bosshog of his bad investment is no problem????
John 6 years ago
The cinema complex is supposed to turn a portion of Gladstone Road into a dual carriage way and government is supposed to complete it. They are also supposed to extend Soldier Road from Blue Hill Road all the way to the Airport. The work by the movie complex was supposed to be completed by now as that business is scheduled to open next month, which is also when the government is scheduled to start its roadworks . But the issue is how does this move fit in with Minnis ‘ plan to revitalize the inner cities. Will a post off substation be put in the area?
Dawes 6 years ago
AS someone with a N post box are these to be moved out there? Or will they stay downtown? I already tell friends to not send boxes via regular mail as you won't get it, or it will come in time for your next birthday. Seems to me you must have something downtown for people and businesses in this area.
Sickened 6 years ago
The old post office should be demolished and a hotel built there. Great Views of the entire Island, direct walk down to Bay Street, Queens Staircase. The top floor should be a bar/restaurant. Would attract many cruise ship passengers for the view.
sealice 6 years ago
You mean like the beautiful old hotel that used to be across the street in front of it?
John 6 years ago
The old post office is to be demolished but will be replaced by another building for government offices. The US Embassy is going across from it on East Street so maybe they will make provisions for a postal sub office in that building to avoid that long drive to Gladstone for rental boxes.
sirD 6 years ago
Good, maybe they will eventually mail my important document to the US that I sent Dec 1st 2017 and was never received.
jackbnimble 6 years ago
Since downtown parking is a problem, it would be a good idea to turn the old post office into an indoor parking lot similar to the Hilton's. That should generate some serious income.
bogart 6 years ago
What was the purchase price .???. ...and amount pf Resolve Debt that was paid for it??????.....and if less who is the individual(s) responsible paying more for a debt than what it is worth???........taxpayers money must be accounted for!!! 1 in 8 persons go to bed hungry and people are in the soup lines!! Hospital need beds, ambulamces, ventilators, wards to be fixed..!!L
FreeportFreddy 6 years ago
Is the government going to offer incentives for typewriter repair companies now?
GIVE UP - the USPS and CanadaPost are scaling back to nothing. Follow the example OR have UPS or FedEx take it over.
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