Repeat visitors and cruise ship passengers will soon hardly recognize downtown Nassau, Bahamas, as the historic city undergoes a “massive transformation” of its downtown, which tourism officials say will be nothing short of a renaissance for the historic Caribbean capital.
The first domino will fall this June with the completion of the beachfront Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau, which will boast 288 rooms, residences, marina, water park, shopping concourse, entertainment (including movie theatre and bowling alley) and plenty more. Dubbed Margaritaville at the Pointe, the resort is currently rising up between the historic British Colonial Hilton and Junkanoo Beach.
Fred Lounsberry, CEO of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, says the complex will anchor the west end of the downtown core, while at the other will be the new Prince George cruise port.
Collectively, “It will be one of the incredible downtown areas for any Caribbean port by far,” he predicts.
Planning for redevelopment of the cruise port has already begun with a ground-breaking expected by the end of the year and completion in 2022.
Joy Jibrilu, director general, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, calls the project “transformational” and the beginning of a “renaissance” for downtown Nassau, while Lounsberry says it will also be the welcome activation of discussions that have gone on for “year and years and years.”
In the longer term, there will be a boardwalk constructed to connect the cruise port to the bridge to Paradise Island – pieces of which are already in place – helping in particular regenerate an eastern portion of Bay Street that lacks the vibrancy of the area around the cruise port and the straw market.
However, there’s no doubt, Lounsberry says, that the new cruise port will be “the crown jewel” of the downtown redevelopment and the impetus for more initiatives that will “roll out from that.”
Ed Fields, managing director of the Nassau Paradise Island Downtown Partnership, says of the cruise port, “All that you see there now will be demolished” and replaced by a new welcome centre. There will also be a concert venue.
Fields says the government has also agreed “in principle” to revise building height restrictions, which will accommodate condominium and residential buildings downtown.
Other developments, he reports, include construction of a $300-million US embassy as well as a “substantial” Central Bank project by the Bahamas government.
Concurrent with the development will also be necessary infrastructure improvements, such as road widenings.
“So, there’s a of lot action, there’s a lot going on,” Fields told Travel Industry Today. “We’re proud that in the next two to three years, you’re going to see a major transformation of downtown.”
Meanwhile, it should be noted that another major development in Nassau is celebrating its second anniversary (in April). After a long, complicated history, the Baha Mar resort finally opened in 2017 with three hotels, golf course, conference centre, casino, multiple restaurants and much more. And with a waterpark, beach club and private island in development, there is more to come at the complex, which rivals Atlantis on Paradise in size and scope if not recognition – at least not yet.