The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The three Bahamian groups competing to upgrade and manage Junkanoo Beach all confirmed their interest when contacted by Tribune Business yesterday.

Attorneys, architects, entrepreneurs and infrastructure development groups are among those involved in bids to take over a location that, according to Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, requires a seven-figure investment to upgrade its attractions and facilities to a standard that will allow The Bahamas to fully maximise its economic potential.

John Bostwick II, the attorney and partner at the Bostwick & Bostwick law firm, acknowledged his involvement with one of the three bids when contacted by this newspaper.

“Yes. Very much so. Spot on,” he replied when asked to confirm his participation. He, like his two rivals, declined to comment further other than to confirm their interest given the sensitivities involved with the Ministry of Tourism yet to determine a preferred bidder.

Similarly, Patrick Rahming, architect and principal of Pat Rahming & Associates, confirmed his involvement with a rival bid to Mr Bostwick’s. He also affirmed that Brendan Foulkes, brother of Labour Minister Dion Foulkes, who held the Harley Davidson franchise for Nassau, was also involved.

Mr Rahming, though, said neither of them were leading the proposal. He declined to identify the principals, but promised to reach out to them for this newspaper. “I’m involved with, not leading,” Mr Rahming said. “Brendan is no more involved than I am.”

The third and final bid involves the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies and its affiliates, Tribune Business can reveal. Dr Allen Albury, the group’s managing director, confirmed this was correct but declined to speak further.

“I’m not sure I’m at liberty to comment on it at this stage,” he replied. “No comment at this time.” Dr Albury also responded “can’t comment on that” when asked if Pirate Republic Brewing Company, the Bahamian craft beer producer founded by Stephen Holowesko, had partnered with Bahamas Striping on its bid. Mr Bostwick had denied that Pirate Republic was involved with his proposal.

Bahamas Striping, which has been frequently held up as the “poster child” for the former Ingraham administration’s self-starter programme, having been founded with one of its $5,000 grants, made its name in striping parking lots, roads and airports.

It has increasingly been seeking to expand and diversify into other areas, including infrastructure and property management/leasing, and has shown a particular interest in public-private partnership (PPP) contracts put out to tender by the Government.

Mr D’Aguilar told Tribune Business on Monday that the Minnis Cabinet will “certainly” receive a recommendation in the 2019 first quarter on which of three bids is best-suited to take over Junkanoo Beach and invest “millions” in its upgrade.

He told Tribune Business that the outsourcing of the West Bay Street location’s management to the private sector was “still very much front and centre” for his ministry as it continued efforts to identify a preferred bidder.

Describing the area as “kind of run down and tacky” in comparison to other elements of The Bahamas’ tourism product, Mr D’Aguilar argued that this nation had failed to maximise the potential economic benefits from Junkanoo Beach’s location near the heart of downtown Nassau and its cruise port.

He said a private sector operator, working with existing vendors and businesses to enhance standards and develop new attractions, would be better-placed than the Ministry of Tourism to extract greater spending by the thousands of cruise passengers and stopover visitors that already visit the area.

Praising the “incredible ideas” submitted by the three bidders, who he described as “all-Bahamian” but declined to identify, Mr D’Aguilar pointed to the quality of both Baha Mar and Atlantis’s Marina Village as examples of what the Government has in mind, adding: “Why can’t we do that at Junkanoo Beach?”

He promised, though, that any changes would not dislocate or disrupt any existing vendors there, adding that the Government and any preferred bidder would work in partnership with them to upgrade their products and services.

Junkanoo Beach’s potential management outsourcing falls within the Minnis administration’s twin aims of getting the Government “out of business” and creating opportunities for small Bahamian businesses and entrepreneurs.

It also ties directly to the Government’s efforts to revitalise the Bay Street/downtown Nassau area, and improve the tourism product offering. Its location, adjacent to the British Colonial Hilton and $200m Pointe development, and a key link between downtown and the Arawak Cay Fish Fry, means any upgrade will link into Nassau cruise port’s potential outsourcing and the harbourfront boardwalk.