The Tribune

By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Government is aiming to have legislation governing how downtown Nassau will be managed “fully completed” within the 2024 first quarter, it was revealed yesterday.

Senator Randy Rolle, the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation’s global relations consultant, and who is spearheading the Government’s efforts to revive Bay Street and the surrounding area, said the first draft of the Downtown City Management Bill has been sent out by the Attorney General’s Office.

He added that the proposed legislation, which is currently under review by the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, will give the Government more teeth in its restoration efforts and speaks to the management, requirements and functionality of Bay Street and wider downtown area.

“We have the first draft of the bill from the Attorney General’s Office, and our stakeholders and executives within the Ministry are reviewing and making our assessments on it. We are going to send it back to the Attorney General. That is something that we hope to have fully completed within the first quarter,” Mr Rolle said.

“It speaks to a lot of the management aspect of how it will work, and what will be required and how it will function, so it’s a very detailed Bill.” Mr Rolle said downtown Nassau stakeholders are being kept updated on the restoration efforts and will be included in a Town Hall meeting prior to the Bill being finalised.

He added: “We continue to update them on a daily basis on initiatives. We have a very active What’s App group and they will be consulted along the way. Once we have it to a stage we’re going to have a town meeting and we’re going to get their input, whether it’s done through tourism or it’s done through the Attorney General’s Office, the Government will make sure that they’re relevant.”

Mr Rolle said progress is also being made on the pedestrianisation of Market Slope and Charlotte Street, which will be sent to the Cabinet for approval.

He added: “We are also at the final stages of getting some papers, which the minister will discuss with his Cabinet colleagues as it relates to the pedestrianisation of Market Slope and Charlotte Street. That’s something else that we have been working on and believe will be of great benefit to the upgrade of downtown.”

Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister, who is also the minister of tourism, investments and aviation, said there are plans to strengthen the tourism product through the Tourism Development Corporation and restoration of Bay Street.

“So for 2024, in addition to our work on Bay Street, in addition to our work on developing our product, we’re going to continue to enhance linkages working through the Tourism Development Corporation,” Mr Cooper added.

“We’re going to be doing some exciting things. Through the Tourism Development Corporation, we’ll be working actively with product development. Our work in revitalising Bay Street, which is the heart and soul of much of our tourism product, will continue.

“We’ve started great work in terms of the demolitions in terms of creating new products, in terms of bringing Goombay back to Bay Street, as well as other festivals. This work is going to continue.”