NASSAU, Bahamas — The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation (MOTIA) revealed plans for the pedestrianization of Market Slope to downtown merchants and stakeholders, in a recent meeting held specifically for those stakeholders, the ministry said in a statement yesterday, The Nassau Guardian reported on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 in n article written by Chester Robards
The ministry also revealed that where they have begun demolishing derelict structures downtown, corporate sponsors have already pledged to fund the development of green spaces.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper said in the statement that the ministry wants to ensure it is making progress in changing the look and feel of Bay Street.
“Once we have demolished the buildings, we will turn them into green spaces,” said Cooper. “This is only one component of the plan to reshape what’s happening here on Bay Street.”
According to the statement, the meeting held last Wednesday included Bay Street merchants, officials from the Nassau Cruise Port, police officers attached to the Police Tourism Division, and officials from the Ministry of Works.
Senator Randy Rolle, who is the MOTIA’s global relations consultant and is spearheading the downtown revitalization project, said in the statement that Bay Street has been zoned in order to streamline the process of the revitalization.
“We zoned the areas into four sections so we can provide focused attention as it relates to cleanup of Bay Street, the flow of traffic, updates on the cruise port and other concerns,” said Rolle. “The entire project will be good for Downtown Nassau, and certainly, we are thankful to those who have gotten involved. Tourism is everybody’s business. We’re excited to get everybody involved and we’re going to do the best job that we can to ensure the difference is seen by all.”
The statement said the plans for downtown include collaborations with artists, cleanups, the creation of family-centric green spaces, the strategic placement of benches, and amplified signage for public transportation.
See article in The Nassau Guardian at https://thenassauguardian.com/tourism-ministry-to-pedestrianize-downtowns-market-slope/
