A dilapidated building on Bay Street pictured yesterday. Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
DOWNTOWN Nassau desperately needs aggressive transformation, not the incremental changes that have defined improvements to the city over the years, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said yesterday.
He suggested the Davis administration is prepared to use difficult tools to revitalise the area if diplomacy with stakeholders fails.
His comments came as Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation officials, Attorney General Ryan Pinder and members of the Downtown Nassau Partnership met downtown property owners to share their vision for the area and hear their concerns yesterday.
Mr Cooper said: “I want to be clear that though I seek the way forward to be one of mutually beneficial partnership, the thrust of this administration is first and foremost progress. And we are not willing to sacrifice progress pursuing partnerships that will not bear fruit. There is no chance that we allow the status quo to remain.
“Always, we will try to work together to move our nation forward. But governments have a responsibility to act in the national interest, even if that is not to the liking of a few. There are multiple tools in the government’s arsenal to address compliance, but our first tool will always be diplomacy. And what is good for downtown is good for the economy of The Bahamas.”
Downtown owners lamented the state of the area, highlighting the proliferation of garbage, inadequate parking space, poor signage and heavy traffic, among other issues.
Mr Cooper acknowledged that previous administrations have made attempts to improve the area.
“But,” he said, “the time for incremental change has come and gone. We have seen progress in the refinishing of sidewalks, the investment in art on abandoned buildings and a focus on a police presence during the daytime hours. But the fact remains that the private sector is not redeveloping downtown rapidly, and indeed often standing in the way of progress.”
Mr Cooper said the growth of downtown pales in comparison to the number of cruise ship passengers increasingly coming to the Port of Nassau and it fails to reflect the considerable investments being made in the vicinity, including the $300m American Embassy on Shirley Street, the $100m plus Central Bank building that will soon be constructed and a new Cabinet building that will be built before the end of this term.
“We are looking at over $700 million in investment into the downtown area in the next few years alone,” he said. “Add to that The Pointe, and we would be looking at close to a billion dollars in investment. However, this will still not be enough to transform one of the busiest ports of entry in the region.
“Our tourism is rebounding strongly. Despite our challenges we still consider ourselves the leaders in the region. The vibrancy of downtown should be the story our visitors tell to their friends and family when they return home.”
Mr Cooper said efforts are underway by police to address vagrancy downtown and expected amendments to the Mental Health Act will facilitate this.
“Just this past weekend we had six ships in port, on a single day. There were thousands of guests here and I often hear taxi drivers and vendors tell me how embarrassed they are to have tourists walk past Victoria Avenue going east to see the raft of abandoned buildings, overgrown spaces and desolate areas that scream for guests to speed past as opposed to enjoying the local fare. It is the one area we get consistent complaints about. It is poorly maintained and not adequately managed,” he said.
“It was thought that moving the various waterfront ports would spur development of living spaces, a boardwalk, restaurants and shops, but that dream has stalled.
“I have often heard that buildings that are neither pleasing to the eye nor functional to the city are protected as historical sites, and that may require laws being amended.
“I am told that outdated building covenants that limit the height of structures are also an impediment. I foreshadow that, that will require adjustment as well,” Mr Cooper said.
Comments
Sickened 2 years, 9 months ago
Take a picture of downtown today and take another one in 5 years. You'll see the difference... it'll look 5 years older.
JokeyJack 2 years, 9 months ago
Exactly - and that's because there is NO ACCOUNTING for the money we pay in taxes. I don't know why we even have a Ministry of Finance. We should just put the money into the Treasury and the PM can write cheques - because that is exactly what happens now.
Flowing 2 years, 9 months ago
What does the finances of the government have to do with private business?
Cobalt 2 years, 9 months ago
Exactly. I read some of these posts and I honestly all I can do is hang my head. Our people don’t have a clue. All we do is talk nonsense.
moncurcool 2 years, 9 months ago
How many people are coming downtown on a daily basis to do activity with any of these buildings Copper is hyping? Cooper really lacks the creative thinking I thought he had.
ohdrap4 2 years, 9 months ago
Ed fields gets paid to do nothing.
Isn't the lead picture the previous wilson's shoe store? They had reasonable prices and the building, ofcourse looked much better.
Also the previous Arnold's store. Don't walk underneatht the balcony folks, the columns are all broken and there is patio furniture and potted plants there. You will die if it falls on you folks.
tribanon 2 years, 9 months ago
Our derelict and dilapidated Downtown areas are nothing but a manifestion of decades of failed economic policies by successive corrupt and incompetent PLP and FNM governments alike. Years of kowtowing to the extremely greedy "all-for-me" business model of the cruise ship industry has virtually destroyed Downtown Nassau.
And now that property values have been largely vapourized, we see the corrupt vultures swooping in to feast. These vultures include the Turkish principals behind Global Ports Holding who will be partnering with the cruise ship operators/owners and the privileged few corrupt Bahamians who have garnered a significiant ownership stake in the Nassau Cruise Port ('NCP') through a fake public offering involving the corrupt Bahamas Investment Fund 'BIF'), control of which Minnis turned over to Anthony Ferguson and his Greek master with none other than Ed Fields sitting on the BIF board as one of their favourite mouth pieces. And lets not forget Michael Maura who has had his own very secretive personal business dealings with NCP going on behind the scenes.
Yup, here we clearly see the really corrupt and greedy private sector vultures among the very wealthy politically-connected elite, who have been hovering over the dead carcass of Downtown Nassau for quite some time now, moving into action with the corrupt, incompetent and cruel Davis and Cooper led PLP administration.
These corrupt and greedy vultures are looking at new ways to encourage and manipulate our equally corrupt and greedy elected officials into positioning the select privileged few to gain de facto ownership and/or control of most of the Downtown properties for pennies on the dollar with Bahamian taxpayers picking-up most of the price tag for the developments they propose, which if they materialise, would line the pockets of the same 'ole wealthy few and leave most Bahamians with only low menial paying jobs.
newcitizen 2 years, 9 months ago
This isn't just downtown. If you look out at the water you think you are in paradise, turn around and look inland and you'll think you're in the third world.
This island is full of trash and derelict building and no one seems to care at all.
Cobalt 2 years, 9 months ago
That’s because the Bahamas IS a third world country. It’s a dump really. And you’re right…… nobody seems to care. Downtown Nassau is a perfect representation of Bahamian people.
GodSpeed 2 years, 9 months ago
Bay Street shouldn't have even been an area that allows vehicular traffic. Should be pedestrians only, the streets cobblestone...with shops, restaurants and entertainment, deliveries in back and multilevel parking facilities nearby. More like Marina Village on PI. The way it is now is embarrassing, a broken down bum fest often congested with traffic. Who owns those properties anyway, has to be the wealthiest in the country, make them pay penalties for derelict properties or something and use those funds to clean the place up. Was there any planning at all to the way it's all laid out, seem haphazard? Unfortunately it would require a large effort similar to what Ingraham managed to do with the road works only to get voted out for it.
stocktonfuller 2 years, 9 months ago
Good idea!
Proguing 2 years, 9 months ago
Where will all the double lane bumper-to-bumper traffic go to? I am not sure that tourists going to Atlantis being blocked on Wulf road for hours is a much better option, especially when we want to promote hotel stays.
KapunkleUp 2 years, 9 months ago
Downtown property owners should be held to certain standards. Take some of those rules in gated communities and apply them to downtown properties. Not a complete solution but a start with no cost to the taxpayers.
Flowing 2 years, 9 months ago
Moving forward businesses on Bay Street need to pay a corporate tax. The government should not be subsidizing these businessmen, many who held economic monopoly for decades.
One 2 years, 9 months ago
Poor city management. The Government is responsible to set the standards, enforce them and create the conditions for competent people to have opportunities to execute the country's vision. Unfortunately, our country still operates like an old British trading post with "Lords" who rule over the country with no progressive vision for the people and society. Their goal is to hold on to power and continue their comfortable lifestyle.
TalRussell 2 years, 9 months ago
Still now after hundreds no bid sidewalk contracts, we new premier, hasn't seen much evidence PopoulacesPurse's monies engaged in duh refinishing of downtown Nassau's sidewalks and now Downtown oligarchs beggin' sidewalks handouts'.
Noticeably absent were Mr, Minnis and ""Sidewalks" Cartwright but Megabucks Oligarch Brent is pictured right up there in duh mix, yet no words attributed to him can be found anywhere in duh newspaper's article?
Rest assured that duh lack downtown's poor signature is not the downtown story our visitors tell to their friends and family when they return home, ― Yes?
LastManStanding 2 years, 9 months ago
Just reflective of our society at large. Not just downtown either, pretty much any area in New Providence not called Cable Beach, Lyford Cay, or Paradise Island looks like this (or worse).
Cobalt 2 years, 9 months ago
Absolutely! 100% true!
BMW 2 years, 9 months ago
You hit the nail on the head!!!!!
TalRussell 2 years, 9 months ago
@ComradeLastMan's, if given the opportunity, would you say out loud, what's your pick?
For example, where things didn't turn out so badly or foolish planning, overtook the crossover to the other side 1710s decade being staked out as a colony of the English's realm?
Have the ownership structures in the downtown core, intentionally engaged in Bay Street Jackassery, ― Yes?
John 2 years, 9 months ago
Before you try to bring Bay Street back to life, you have to find out what killed it. Firstly Bay Street was a shopping Mecca for the rich and famous the mix of stores included top name jewelry stores, fine linen and China stores perfume galleries and a mix of clothing and shoe stores that cater from casual wear to top formal stores that could out the prime minister, the First Lady all MPs and everyone else. Then as happened in many major cities, two malls popped up in the country and many of the famous stores chose to relocate to either or both malls. Other stores chose to remain on Bay Street only to face a losing battle where the once eloquent and charming Bay Streets was falling into a cheap flea market and losing popularity faster than you ca say ‘No Bahamians.’ A number of store keepers felt that the young )and sometimes rowdy) Bahamians was part of the reason for the downturn of business downtown and hence they encouraged police and other officials to ‘chase these natives off Bat Street.’ It was not unusual to see police forcing young men especially, to board buses and to leave downtown ‘else get lock up.’ And some were locked up for loitering. If you went downtown and was stopped by police and couldn’t give a reason you could be arrested for loitering. If you went downtown too often you could also be stopped be police and even be banned for ‘being suspicious.’ But little did the shopkeepers realize that the same people they were banning from downtown were also their customers. They were the ones that spent money bwhen there were no ships in the harbor and no guests in the hotel.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
And as the cruise ship industry grew, the stores on Bay Street dwindled. Many stores closed their doors and some were converted into souvenirs and 3for $20 t-shirt shops. The clientele on Bay Street had shifted from a broad intermix of international customers and Bahamians, to mostly lower income cruise ship passengers who only wanted a cheap something to take back to show friends at home that they had been to The Bahamas. And as the cruise ships grew in size and included more amenities on board the cruise ship passengers appetite for Bay Street became smaller and smaller. And so the city of downtown Nassau degraded into what it is today.
mandela 2 years, 9 months ago
There needs to be a law that if you have a shop on Bay St. that whether you have an open running store or not the outside facade and any visible areas to the public be up kept as not to be an eyesore and if not done should be highly penalized financially, every month looking shabby is $1000.00 then there will be a noticeable difference. But who has the balls to make such a move? "kinna"
John 2 years, 9 months ago
There has been talks and suggestions as to how to revive Bay Street and make it more attractive and appealing to guests and visitors and more profitable to persons who own property or operate businesses or n the area. One idea that had been floating is to build a broad walk from the Bridge on Potters Cay to the Pointe development where persons can walk or use scooters or mopeds to get back and forth. The water from will be redeveloped to host water taxis, marinas and private boats from the neighboring Paradise Island. Buildings on the waterfront was to be redesigned to face the water and will include condos, townhouses other rentals retail stores ,restaurants and clubs and other ancillary businesses. The idea was to stop everything on Bay Street from coming to a stop and dying at 5:00 pm.
List item
John 2 years, 9 months ago
So unless and until government and/or it’s agents can give a clear picture of what the New Bay Street is to be, the new zoning restrictions ) solicitation is to become legal) and building codes, then you can’t just expect property owners to pump hundreds of thousands of dollars, millions e even. Into their properties, not knowing the outcome.
Biminibrad 2 years, 9 months ago
Take, take, take and not reinvest rings a bell.
John 2 years, 9 months ago
Would you reinvest in something that isn’t bringing you any returns? Or in something that you are uncertain what the plans for the area are? Some of those buildings have been derelict for over two decades. Maybe the owners are up in age or have died with no other (interested) family. So government must now step in and do an assessment. Determine how best to deal with the property. Make efforts to contact owners through the media and other sources. Putting notices on the properties and acquiring and reselling after a specified time has passed. Until then they may have to fence or border them in for being an eyesore and for public safety.
ABOMINATION 2 years, 9 months ago
Successive Govts. Who run the country like their homes, and the stupid voters who just don’t Clare to voice their disgust, and those whose cars hit pot holes everyday, complaining to themselves whilst paying road taxes, and yet the decay remained for decades…..the stealing of pPublic funds from RTD AND ALL THE OTHER GOVT. OFFICES ..yet no arrest…..what more ddo you expect. “chicken shit Governments in a chicken shit town!!
voiceofthepeople 2 years, 9 months ago
What about ; The Flooding ?, The Rats? needs a good cleaning first !; If too much rebuilding happenes at once the traffic will be a big mess! ;
John 2 years, 9 months ago
How would rebuilding on private property affect traffic? There’s already a rule that trailer trucks can’t be on Bay Street during certain hour.
yeahyasee 2 years, 9 months ago
You really understand how bad Downtown looks when you visit ports in the Southern Caribbean. It's a HUGE difference.
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