The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister has disclosed that talks are underway over how Government House can become a heritage tourism site and recover the $20m invested in its restoration.

Alfred Sears QC, minister of works and utilities, said of the repairs to the Governor-General’s residence: “There is the Government House restoration and I had the opportunity to view the work being done at that particular site. It’s very delicate work because it’s over 100 years-old and, in the course of repairs, certain defects were uncovered.

“Therefore, additional work has to be done at that site. One of the conversations that I would like to share is that there is a conversation underway between the Ministry of Works, Tourism and the Office of the Governor General to see how that site, where well over $20m approximately will be invested, can be used as a revenue-generating facility in terms of heritage visits by visitors and so on for a fee.” Mr Sears, adding that the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium will also receive upgrades to help relaunch the “Sports in Paradise” sports tourism initiative, said of the nearby baseball stadium: “The Andre Rogers National Stadium is currently being constructed on a 24-acre site on the south-eastern section of the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.

“Over $25m of Bahamian tax money is already invested on the ground, and an extraordinary inter-disciplinary group of architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and contractors engaged in that work, which has been on go slow for the past number of years.” Asserting that this will be speeded up, Mr Sears said “major traffic control and management infrastructure” will be placed at key intersections where cameras will help monitor the flow of vehicles.

He added that this would “enable the Ministry of Works to better facilitate the smooth flow of traffic in New Providence, collect data about the road usage and ensure a more rational and efficient use of streets for vehicular traffic”.

Confirming that the Government is committed to following through with replacements for Eleuthera’s Glass Window Bridge, and bridges at Stafford Creek and Fresh Creek in Andros, Mr Sears said: “Another design project is the Gladstone Road Improvement Project.

“The ministry is committed to incorporating in all of its major highways provision for bicycles and provisions for pedestrians, so people can exercise and so on, as well as shoulders where persons who have experienced difficulty on the highway can pull off on the side in a very safe manner.” Design work is also underway for the Sir Milo Butler Highway to be extended to Cowpen Road.

And Mr Sears added: “With the monster hurricanes and the increased effects of global warming, there needs to be a further revision, and the Government has undertaken a review of the Building Code. An international consultant is being identified, and will begin that process so that our building code will provide more resilience.”