Malcolm Martini and other Bahamian planners have already completed a strategic plan for the development of the island of Exuma which the government has repeatedly said is on the verge of burgeoning wealth through direct foreign investments.
ﾓIt is probably one of the best decisions I have made since being Prime Minister because it demonstrates beyond any question whatsoever of the absolute necessity to integrate formal planning into our countryﾴs governance so that we may make sense of the extraordinary amount of investment interest that is now being demonstrated in our country,ﾔ said Mr. Christie during a press conference at the Cabinet Office in downtown Nassau on Thursday.
At the end of Mr. Martiniﾴs two year stint, he is expected to present the government with a development plan that will govern it for the next twenty years.
The reality is that private sector development is growing faster than the government was competently able to plan for, the Prime Minister acknowledged.
What the government actually wants to do is create a plan for the placement of infrastructure and investment projects, rather than haphazardly approving schemes without taking note of general development.
ﾓPut very simply we can no longer accept roads that are too narrow, without pedestrian pathwaysﾅ without planning for solid waste disposalsﾅ without knowing where our schools and clinics will be because we anticipate that new developments will lead to migration,ﾔ Mr. Christie said.
The government also wants to transform Bay Street and the city of Nassau into one of the most attractive harbour cities in this hemisphere and it is in the process of contracting the London based urban architectural design firm of EDAW to bring that vision to fruition.
ﾓEDAW will assist the government in conducting design and planning strategies for these critical areas while blending them with an overarching vision to enhance the attractiveness of the Island of New Providence, as well as the greater Bahamas,ﾔ the Prime Minister said.
In its heyday, the British colonial architecture of Bay Street with its quaint stores, restaurants and nightlife wooed a loyal following of captivated tourists.
But parts of the city centre, suffering from years of neglect and dwindling entertainment, have become an eyesore.
All this the government expects to change through the creation of a master plan for the areaﾴs conversion.
Last year the government challenged a commission of private and public sector professionals to advise the government about the best route to take. Several months and many meetings later, the committee has already submitted a list of recommendations.
The main focusﾅhas been seeking out how viable it is to relocate commercial freight and container operations from the harbour of Nassau with a view to extending Woods Rodgers Wharf eastward as far as Armstrong Street, creating a boardwalk along its southern boundary and establishing by way of a 100 foot reclamation a grass park area on the waterfront with linear parking in strategic locations,ﾔ Co-chairman of the commission George Mackay said.
The Bahama Journal
