The Tribune

The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) is continuing to rid the island of abandoned, derelict and structurally-unsound properties as it completes demolition of a former business plaza.

"The beautification and maintenance of the city of Freeport is always of paramount importance to GBPA. While there are inevitable constraints, mostly legal, we are committed to that responsibility and to our customers," said Rupert Hayward, a GBPA director.

"Since returning home I, too, have seen the dilapidated buildings that are littering our city scape. I'm excited to take on the challenge, and my hope is that we are able to restore the city of Freeport to a place that more closely resembles the vision that Freeport's founders had for it."

The GBPA's Building and Development Services Department took the first steps towards making this vision a reality in early March, when it bulldozed the downtown Professional Plaza on Pioneer's Way.

The building, which had once been home to countless businesses, sustained serious damage from recent hurricanes and had been left in a state of dilapidation. The remaining debris from the demolition is being cleared and taken to the island's dumpsite.

"It will take us another month to finish this process of sanitisation," said Troy McIntosh, the GBPA's manager of building and development. "The entire process will cost the GBPA close to $100,000 to complete, but it represents the company's commitment to ridding the island of a significant and potentially dangerous eyesore."

The Pioneers Plaza is the first of several planned demolition projects, with Mr McIntosh's department already targeting another abandoned property. Over the last three years the GBPA has demolished around 18 buildings.

"While we are eager to rid the city of these derelict and unsightly buildings, demolition is always our last resort. We utilize every effort to work with the owners to repair where necessary, and only demolish in severe cases," explained Mr McIntosh.

The success of this project requires more than action by the GBPA - it needs the support of all relevant stakeholders on Grand Bahama.

"We need persons to be conscious of the negative impact these buildings, homes and dumping have on our environment. It creates a negative impression for visiting tourists, and can have a terrible impact on the health of our children," said Mr McIntosh.

To encourage community collaboration, the GBPA has engaged teams from the Ministry of Grand Bahama and other government agencies - including the Ministry of Tourism, MPs and GBPA licensees - to clean up Freeport.

"We encourage everyone to join us in this process," said Mr McIntosh, who has been recording all the issues via the company's new Freeport Report app. "We are looking to clean up the Pioneers Way, Queen's Highway and then all tourist areas next. I would encourage those who know they have issues to sort them out so that we can make Freeport shine again."