The Tribune

Two prominent figures sit in that most public of squares – Rawson, which in earlier times was simply known as “The Park” and was described by LD Powles in The Land of the Pink Pearl as “an acre in extent…on which were the broken remains of some benches and some dried-up-looking, coarse grass”.

From her Empire Day unveiling in 1905 Victoria Regina (Queen) et Imperatrix (Empress) presided in marbled solitude in Rawson Square for 88 years until an unpretentious bronze bust of Sir Milo Butler entered this privileged space in 1993.

While the enthroned monarch is mounted higher than our native son in a square named after a former Royal Governor, her viewpoint is narrower, more stilted, while Sir Milo’s is panoramic.

Most Bahamians fail to notice that Victoria’s head is tilted north-east, while Sir Milo has a forward gaze that surveys east and west and as importantly, south. Fittingly, his gaze cum vision recasts the idea of the City of Nassau and Bay Street, from a clique of historically private interests to a shared civic commons.

While many still pine for the sword and scepter glued to Victoria’s imperial grip, others have cast their lot with the vision and virtues Sir Milo championed, based on the values of the Good Book he clasps in his left hand.

Some of the discussions on redeveloping “downtown” are narrowly commercial, spanning mostly east to west for the benefit of tourists and cash registers. Though essential, those interests are partial and narrow.

While recalling our colonial past as we redevelop Nassau, the city must not be turned into a quaint colonial village with Bay Street becoming a local version of Disneyland’s Main Street, USA, attraction.

Nassau does not simply stretch east to west, it also stretches north to south encompassing an impressive register of publicly-owned buildings and spaces which are central to the city’s renewal.

In any successful planning exercise, the city’s breadth and depth must be taken into account. The recasting of Nassau is not solely a development project; it is also a vision statement about our future and a historical recognition and reckoning with our past, requiring artistry and careful planning.

Nassau’s restoration is not primarily about creating a nice space for tourists to visit. It is primarily about creating a more welcome space for Bahamians to live, work, dine, shop and play.

There is a historic chord that binds Funky Nassau to Nassau – The Reality of Illusion, a past visual collaboration of artists Paulette Mortimer, John Cox and Jackson Burnside that was part elegy, part love song and part call to action.

The artists shared a common theme: “Nassau rock /And Nassau roll /Nassau’s got a /Whole lot of soul.” Unfortunately, much of Nassau has become soulless with the deprecation of its architectural richness, unkempt public spaces, and almost ghost-town pall once evening settles in.

But there is still much soul in Nassau as manifested by a variety of revitalization projects and the tenacious efforts of some to reclaim the City, including through various advocacy campaigns and architectural projects.

The revitalisation of the City of Nassau, like most city revitalisations, is a long-term and complex process, requiring careful planning, political will and innovative legislation, including on matters of taxation and revenue generation for its beautification, maintenance and ongoing refurbishment.

But there are international models from which we may garner lessons, including Inner Harbor in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. The use of solar and renewal energy will also be important in the development of a smart city.

During the last administration of former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, a number of advances were made in the revitalisation process, including the City of Nassau Revitalisation Act and the relocation of the Port of Nassau to Arawak Cay, which opened significant space for the redevelopment of downtown Nassau.

The Christie Administration approved The Pointe development, which includes an entertainment complex, restaurants, a marina and a condominium hotel. This development is part of the revitalization process.

The new Nassau cruise port, which was conceptualised during the Minnis Administration, is a landmark development that has dramatically improved this gateway to the City of Nassau for cruise passengers.

The last government finally tore down the dilapidated Churchill Building, with a new cabinet office to be constructed in its place. The proposed plan includes more open green space and more parking. The Central Bank building was slated to be built on the site where the Royal Victoria Hotel stood.

The new complex, with an impressive modern design, would have done wonders for downtown. Curiously, the current government has cancelled the project on which approximately $10m or more has already been spent.

During his term in office Dr. Minnis observed the critical role of residential development in city restoration:

“Just as with other urban centres around the world, the long-term revitalisation of downtown Nassau will require residential properties for Bahamians and residents, which is necessary for the growth of other businesses, such as restaurants, shops, convenience stores and other commercial enterprises.”

The development of residential properties, especially from the center of downtown going east, may result in hundreds of millions of dollars or more in investment.

The redevelopment of the area from the Paradise Island bridges to East Street must be a part of the reimagining and revitalisation of the City of Nassau. This could include a boardwalk extending from Paradise Island to downtown.

With many more Bahamians and residents living downtown, the City of Nassau can be a bustling and booming area that does not shut down after sunset.

Reimagining and revitalising the City of Nassau is a journey of self-definition and discovery: a recollection of the history and heritage which define the Bahamian experience. A city’s architecture, especially the capital, chronicles a nation’s history and showcases its ambitions, priorities and dreams.

In ancient Africa and the Americas, in Asian and European capitals, palaces, temples or cathedrals often dominated the city, reminding souls and subjects of their place in a cosmology that bound the sovereign powers of heaven and earth.

New York City’s skyline is dominated by commercial skyscrapers reaching for the heavens in pursuit of economic interests. The mass murderers who destroyed the World Trade Center understood the iconic nature of the twin towers.

Paris’ architectural obsession is French culture and history, from the iconic Eiffel Tower, built to mark the centennial of the French Revolution, to the imposing Arc de Triomphe to the world-renowned Louvre.

A former teacher once noted, “Men come together in cities in order to live; they remain together in order to live the good life.” The teacher was Aristotle, who lived in an ancient city-state with a population about the size of the modern Bahamas.

While the ancient philosopher never experienced traffic jams and the issues related to contemporary urbanisation, he understood the challenges associated with large groups of people struggling to live together in relative peace and stability.

He appreciated how the city might help to cultivate the “good life” and beauty and preserve and transmit virtues like civility and hospitality.

Those fountainheads of civilisation which socialize successive generations are rooted in the architecture, public spaces and the possibilities of a city and should inform its redevelopment.

The finer cities of the world strive for a balance between commercial, cultural and governmental interests and the need for artistic and religious expression, recreation, entertainment, beauty, shopping, dining and other fine attributes of a city.

The recasting of Nassau is not solely a development project. It is also a vision statement about our future and a historical recognition and reckoning with our past, requiring debate, artistry and careful planning.

Again, Nassau’s restoration is not solely about creating a nice space for tourists to visit. It is primarily about creating a more welcome space for Bahamians to live, work, dine, shop and play, while offering visitors an enjoyable destination.

The reimagining of the municipal area of the City of Nassau will require new governing structures, including possibly a city administrator and a public-private partnership to maintain the City.

Nassau is a 300-year-old plus city with a rich past and a vibrant future. It represents who we are as a country. This includes the decades-long struggle to revitalize, transform and maintain the City, much of which is an urban eyesore.

Moreover, though there has been progress, its renewal seems interminable and much of its future remains uncertain.

(Front Porch is now available in podcast on The Tribune website under the Editorial Section.)