By YOURI KEMP
Tribune Business Reporter
ykemp@tribunemedia.net
The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation (MOTIA) sought to further advance pedestrianisation plans when it met with downtown stakeholders on Wednesday, it was confirmed yesterday.
Senator Randy Rolle, the ministry's global relations consultant who has been tasked with spearheading downtown's revival, told Tribune Business the discussions over transforming the 'Zone One' bloc between Navy Lion Road and Frederick Street had proven fruitful.
Downtown has been split into three zones, and Senator Rolle said: “In keeping with the promise to engage the stakeholders, we just wanted to update them on what’s been happening downtown and we wanted to hear their feedback and concerns.”
Chief among the discussion topics was the recent demolition of derelict buildings east of East Street. The ministry is also in the “final stages" of selecting tourism ambassadors that will be placed in strategic locations downtown. “We also wanted to update them on a new initiative for the pedestrianised market slope, which is the street between the east of the Straw Market, and making that pedestrian only,” Mr Rolle said.
"The plan was to create some vendor opportunities, but again it will allow for a flow straight from the cruise port through market slope into downtown.” There are also three places where passengers can exit Nassau Cruise Port, making downtown more accessible to them. “We wanted to make sure every business had access to an equal amount of cruise ship passengers,” Mr Rolle added.
"The tourism bicycle unit is back now and it creates a better presence of officers. Some of the stakeholders also spoke about wanting to see officers directing traffic like how it was years ago like the old Nassau.”
Along with the demolition of the derelict buildings, corporate sponsors have signed up to continue with the clean-up and beautification of downtown Nassau. Atlantis is among those that will assist with providing green spaces.
Mr Rolle said: “We have major corporate sponsors who have worked with the community before and want to do some things in the community, and that’s going to help us create our murals and work on our downtime in downtown where we can move it to different spots on Bay Street.”
Downtown businesses were “very receptive” to the information from the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, and were “very positive” on what was discussed at the meeting. The “next steps" will be providing renderings of what the market slope will look like when it is pedestrianised, and display how traffic will flow and how people will be directed coming off the cruise ships.
There will also be changes to the public transportation regime, too. “We will move the bus stop on East Bay in front of government publications, and we will create benches and have that as a drive-in bus stop. I would like for busses to be able to turn into that bus stop. We will provide benches, but that can’t be in the street any more. That is a major inconvenience,” Mr Rolle said.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
OpenID