Previous
Bay Street facelift
Bringing back the buzz
The main street of any city is its heart and soul. Bay Street in downtown Nassau is no different. The two-lane thoroughfare is the aorta of the nation’s capital, connecting west to east, and is the gateway to the country for the 2.4 million cruise ship passengers who disembark at the city’s port each year.
Over the years, Bay St has undergone numerous phases of development. In its heyday, during the 1950s and ’60s, Nassau’s main street was a stylish, vibrant boulevard, graced by Hollywood glitterati, royalty and business magnates, all drawn to Nassau’s elegant stores, dining rooms and cafes.
But recently, Bay St suffers from the same tribulations as thoroughfares in other cities: the noise and air pollution that accompanies congestion and overcrowding. To restore its original recreational ambience, a new initiative is overhauling Bay St and the entire downtown area.
“As you may be aware, great attention is being placed on the enhancement of the environment of Nassau,” said Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham at the inaugural visit last year of a mega cruise ship. “The upgrade of our city’s infrastructure is being undertaken with a view to improving its aesthetics, as well as increasing our offerings to residents and visitors alike.”
Bringing the vision to reality is the Downtown Nassau Partnership (DNP)–a public/private entity formed in 2009, tasked with nothing less than a redevelopment of the city core. “Over the last ten years, a lot of thought and work has gone into plans to redevelop and preserve downtown,” says Vaughn Roberts, DNP’s managing director. “Nassau is really the front room of The Bahamas and, if we are inviting people into our front room, then it really should be the showroom for the entire nation.”
Ambitious master plan
To this end, the DNP–in collaboration with the government and with a board of directors that includes prominent local business leaders–has devised a detailed master plan. At its core are a number of principles: to preserve historic heritage; create a seamless interface between the port and the city; build a super marina; enhance the waterfront; and create spaces for art and culture to flourish. In other words, the DNP intends to make downtown Nassau once again the heartbeat of the island.
“This plan is intended to provide for beautification and rebuilding, as well as the introduction of entertainment,” says Ingraham. “In short, we hope to make the downtown Nassau experience such that visitors would be able to return home and tell their friends and relatives that ‘It’s better in The Bahamas’.”
The plans take into account every aspect of the area’s facelift, from small details such as increased greenery, artistic wall murals and street furniture to multi-million-dollar projects such as new park areas and activity spaces, pedestrianization of side streets and large tracts of the wharf area and brand new retail and residential facilities. It also tackles congestion, proposing to relocate taxi ranks and the downtown bus depot to new, less obstructive locations. The master plan also calls for metered, parallel parking all along Bay St and widening the pavements. “The pedestrian experience in downtown Nassau at the moment is very challenging,” says Vaughn. “We need to look at alternative forms of public transport, such as having water taxis shuttling along the seafront, so that congestion is relieved.”
Realizing the vision
Making the vision a reality of course is no mean feat. Unlike other large construction and development projects in The Bahamas, such as Atlantis Paradise Island, Albany luxury complex and mega-resort Baha Mar, the redevelopment of downtown involves hundreds of individual shareholders and businesses. Everyone involved has to buy into the ideals of the master plan and has to be included at every stage of the process. On top of that, there is the financing.
Key to the success of this process is the development of an authority to control and manage the area, says Roberts. “You don’t open your business every day without a manager, so we have a need for a public/private entity that manages the town,” he says. “It would be a champion for the city, promoting commerce and business development and attracting new investment.”
The DNP chief suggests that if the authority could generate $2-$2.5 million a year through, for example, shareholder contributions and fund-raising, then it could go a long way to helping the rejuvenation. It could also present an investment opportunity for residents of the city through the issuance of bonds. “This type of public/private arrangement takes some of the pressure off the government, but essentially the idea is to find ways to make the average person feel like they are part owners of the town and that they are responsible for its development.”
First steps taken
The government has already been leading the way with significant investment over the last couple of years, as local groups and the large cruise ship companies keep up the pressure for change. The dredging of the harbour to accommodate Royal Caribbean’s cruise superliners Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas has opened the Nassau port to some of the world’s largest vessels. Coupled with a new $12-million, 37,000 sq ft straw market and the renovation of the supreme court and parliamentary buildings, as well as infrastructure improvements, the government has invested in excess of $100 million into downtown projects over the last 18 months.
“These projects set downtown on a new course, bringing back vibrant community life to historic Nassau,” says Minister of the Environment Earl Deveaux. “The expectation is that all parties would seek a variety of innovative ways to involve people in the progress of the revitalization of the downtown core.”
The single most important initiative by the government in recent years, according to Roberts at DNP, was to negotiate the relocation of the container port from downtown Nassau to Arawak Cay, west of the capital, thus freeing 40 acres of prime waterfront property for redevelopment. Proposals have already been drawn up for the waterfront, of which 20 per cent is owned by the government, with the most of the remainder owned by only two families. “This represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reclaim the city for the community and bring people back into downtown,” says Roberts.
“We have to look at bringing condominiums, boutique hotels, retail and restaurants to that area and develop a world-class marina. The government can recoup investment through increased business licence fees and cruise visitor tax, as the city attracts more commercial ventures and more visitors.”
Nassau’s rejuvenation, however, is not only about new construction projects. The historic heart of the capital is also in need of a facelift, with many of the city’s colonial-era buildings falling into disrepair. To encourage more rigorous investment from the private sector, the government has enacted several pieces of legislation that offer incentives to property owners of historic buildings, specifically waiving import duty on raw materials to be used for renovation and a suspending of real property tax. “East of East Street doesn’t look like our city centre, with many derelict buildings and many businesses closed. So we’re going to seek to cause Nassau to come alive,” says Prime Minister Ingraham. “In support of such rejuvenation of the city, my government enacted legislation providing tax concessions connected to the renovation of historic and other interesting buildings in our city centre and encouraging the development of new venues for Bahamian entertainment.”
Bring back the buzz
DNP’s Roberts estimates that the old container port site will require financing to the tune of $500 million to realize the locale’s true potential and is realistic as regards a time frame for that project. “It depends on the economic recovery and getting the right investors, but I think it will take 10-15 years for that area to be redeveloped,” he says, adding that foreign investors have shown interest in parts of downtown and, if they are successful in obtaining the properties, they have a very aggressive strategic development plan.
Roberts is optimistic on prospects for the $50-million green space proposals for the core of the city. “The plans are in front of the government, and the next step, following the opening of the new straw market this year, will be a series of public consultations. Once these are done, I think you will see significant change in downtown within the next three to five years.
“Our priority is to create iconic spaces that present not only an excellent photo opportunity experience for visitors, but also bustle with lively activity. We have a big opportunity to really make this town buzz.”
--
Bus_BayStFacelift_WBN11
Bay Street facelift
Bringing back the buzz
CONTACT INFORMATION
E-Mail: Click here
Internet: https://
Disclaimer:
Information in editorial and listings is subject to change at any time.