After several announced start-up dates were pushed back, Minister of Trade and Industry Leslie Miller told The Guardian that the project will start in March, 2004.
But advising that his ministry had nothing to do with the actual straw market plans, Mr Miller referred The Guardian to Ministry of Works authorities.
According to Minister of Works and Utilities, Bradley Roberts, also on Monday, his Ministry is presently negotiating with the Caribbean Development Bank to finance the project.
“Let me say that the financing involves on-going negotiations, and the Caribbean Development Bank has agreed in principle that they would provide some of the funding under certain conditions, and this is being ironed out at the moment; therefore the starting date depends on the financing, as the two go together,” said Mr Roberts.
“They (Ministry of Works) are also in the process of making a determination on whether the building would be a two-storey or three- story building,” he said.
Previous dates announced by the Trade and Industry minister for the construction of the new straw market were: June, July, August (2003) and January, 2004.
Last week at the Progressive Liberal Party’s convention, Mr Miller told delegates that once the straw market is completed, vendors would no longer have to endure hot and humid days jammed under a tent, but rather an ultra modern three-storey facility.
The structure, he said, would be one that will provide a safe and clean environment for Bahamians and guests to the country.
“This beautiful structure will house 600 straw workers and craft vendors at the old historic site,” Mr Miller said.
A reliable source told the Guardian on Monday that construction of the straw market is in the hands of a recently appointed committee working in conjunction with the Nassau Tourism and Development Board.
“I understand that they may have moved the straw market out of the minister’s (Miller) directive and put it in the hands of a committee that was just announced the other day. It is all a part of the Bay Street Development Plan and the committee will recommend any final decisions concerning what the straw market should entail, directly to the Prime Minister,” the Guardian was told.
Further, according to the contact, even though the CDB is presently negotiating with the ministry to have the new straw market rebuilt, certain concerns and demands have to be agreed before the project is fully financed.
According to the source, the CDB, on viewing the existing market on Navy Lion Road, was not satisfied with the large number of children frequenting the market selling wares for their family.
“One of their conditions was that this couldn’t happen. They said that if vendors have their kids come to the market because they have nowhere else to go, the new market must have a training facility for kids to do their homework,” the source said.
It was also stated that the CDB would not lend money to the government if they ccould not receive some return.
Maintenance of the building was another CDB concern reported.
Frank Comito of the Nassau Tourism and Development Board, told The Guardian Tuesday that the NTDB has been working with an “advisory committee” that has provided some input to the government regarding the new straw market.
The NTDB, he said, is presently waiting on further requests of any input they could provide.
“We submitted a report back in October and we await further direction from the government and would give them any additional input that they request,” he said, adding that the report included the NTDB’s recommendations to the government.
However, Mr. Comito said, it would not be “proper protocol” for the NTDB to release the details of its recommendations to the press.
The winning architect for the new straw market building, Michael Foster, said on Tuesday that he is waiting on the government to give some indication on whether the facility would have two or three storeys and what would be the final accommodations.
Mr. Foster said he understood why the government would want to take its time to make the “proper” decision when it came to accommodations, because the building has to be “economically viable.”
According to Mr. Foster, it would cost the government some $10 million to 13 million to construct a new straw market, depending on accommodations. He said they are presently “struggling” to accommodate 600 vendors at the new market, but if not, the amount of vendors housed would be very close to this number.
He said also that there have been some changes to the new market’s original design submitted, but the change would not affect the physical look of the market.
Mr. Foster successfully beat out 10 other architects who competed in the design competition.
His design was chosen by a task force appointed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and comprised of various artisans, straw vendors, retailers, real estate, hotel, restaurant and other private and public interests who offered expertise
By Tamara McKenzie, The Nassau Guardian
