The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business

Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

THE Deputy Prime Minister yesterday said the Government has demolished five derelict Bay Street properties over the past year to make way for downtown Nassau’s revival.

Chester Cooper, also minister for tourism, investments and aviation, speaking ahead of the full weekly Cabinet meeting said the Davis administration will “continue the process” of eradicating dilapidated, rundown properties that represent an eyesore for tourists and Bahamians alike.

“There’s some short-term preliminary things that we’re doing through the Ministry of Tourism,” he explained. “We get a lot of complaints about downtown from many of our guests, and residents for that matter.....

“There has to be some sustained investment in downtown. The property owners are committed, certainly, to enhance their property values. Some of the property owners are responding in kind in terms of the development and clean-up of the properties, others are not, and where there is non-compliance we will deal with it to the fullest extent of the law.

“There is a great opportunity for the revitalisation of downtown, and with the development and opening of the Nassau Cruise Port coming within the next few months, we’re confident that this is going to drive some energy. I hope it can be the catalyst to cause property owners to follow the path of what happens at the Nassau Cruise Port.”

The Ministry of Tourism’s proposed downtown incubation centre for “authentically made Bahamian products” is also part of the revitalisation strategy. “We’ll hopefully be able to give you a little bit more specifics on this soon,” Mr Cooper added.

“That plan is sufficiently advanced for me to be very confident and optimistic that, early in the New Year, we should be able to launch a marketplace for locally-owned businesses that are working with authentically Bahamian products and services, as well as some support for the creative arts and budding artists.”

Straw market vendors will not be impacted or displaced by this project as they are selling Bahamian souvenirs, whereas the incubation centre will focus on authentic Bahamian goods and services. “We have an issue where we want more tourists to come off the ship,” the deputy prime minister said.

“So if we have, at this moment, 20,000 guests come in to the Nassau Cruise Port and only 10,000 come off the ship, there’s still opportunity for the other 10,000. So we want to draw the people off the ship. So this isn’t competition… it’s really enhancing the product. Once we enhance the product, everyone will benefit.”

Mr Cooper said the Government was “very close” to confirming the private sector partner that will finance and oversee Grand Bahama International Airport’s redevelopment, as well as operate the facility. “I know people are very eager to have specific answers to this question and I told them then, as I will tell you now, that we’re very close, but I’m not in a position to make a statement at the moment,” he added.

“We are doing some final housekeeping on the process. It’s being finalised. We know who the winning bidder is, but I can’t tell you yet.” It was recently reported that Dublin Airport Authority, which manages Ireland’s Dublin and Cork airports, was among the contenders for the Grand Bahama airport deal along with an infrastructure financing partner.