Still in its formative stage, the Bay Street redevelopment project now has all of its stakeholders on board, according to Minister of Energy and Environment Dr. Marcus Bethel, who recently assumed responsibility for revamping the overall look of downtown Nassau.
According to Dr. Bethel, the next step will be to strategise with stakeholders on the "particular priorities for the projectﾒs long term development."
"Because it is a multi-phased, multi-faceted project priorities have to be set up and as we set up the priorities and stakeholders all agree to those, then you move forward step by step in achieving the goals," the minister said during an interview with The Bahama Journal yesterday.
"Certainly the early priorities are looking at downtownﾒs appearance."
Bay Street merchants have long been anxious for some improvement to the "drab conditions" in the area.
In fact, during an earlier interview with The Journal, Benetton proprietor Mary Jane Lotmore lamented the filthy sidewalks and the derelict buildings along East Bay Street that begged for more attention.
But a multi-million dollar facelift is expected to change all that. The project would entail improvements between Arawak Cay in the west to Montagu in the east, including enhancements to Nassau Harbour.
To date, benches have been erected along Bay Street and foliage has been planted.
According to Chairman of the Nassau Tourism Development Board and long time advocate for the redevelopment of Bay Street, Charles Klonaris, stakeholders are now in the process of identifying other ways the area can be improved, with the overall goal of making it more consumer friendly.
"We are focusing on structural changes that are much more conducive for retailing, making it much more pleasant for the consumers," Mr. Klonaris said.
"I think one of the major emphasis is going to be widening the sidewalk on the south side of Woodes Rodgers Wharf and create more restaurants and bars so that the city would come alive at night time."
The plan is to submit a report on such issues to the minister by next week.
A major part of revitalising Bay Street is the relocation of all commercial shipping interests.
Prime Minister Perry Christie has announced that the new port facility would be located near Clifton Pier in an "environmentally appropriate" area.
He said the port would be able to meet the commercial shipping needs of New Providence for the next 50 years.
"We have a weekly session with all of the shippers ﾖ Tropical, Betty K., etc ﾖ including those on Arawak Cay because they are all involved. We ask them to present their views and ideas on what the new port facility should look like ﾖ the size and depth, the financing," said Mr. Klonaris.
"This is a critical point ﾖ the financing. How this would happen? But everyone agrees that it would be better served out at Clifton Pier."
Also the proprietor of Mikeﾒs Shoe Store, the NTDB chairman admitted that as it stands, having a port in downtown Nassau makes doing business difficult.
"The only way to expand the city is going east. And you have these docks, container terminals, huge lorries, coming through the city that hampers us. Retailing canﾒt grow because of this. Itﾒs also dangerous and not consumer friendly and these are things that really do not allow the city to grow properly," Mr. Klonaris said.
The NTDB has already considered what could be done to the area once this happens, like forming a business improvement district, he said.
That would mean giving incentives to proprietors of business east of East Street, according to Mr. Klonaris.
The NTDB is hoping that the redevelopment project will make much progress by the Fall.
By: Macushla N. Pinder, The Bahama Journal
