National

GBPA Lays Ground For International Bazaar’s Clean Slate

GRAND BAHAMA, BAHAMAS – The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) says recent demolitions are paving the way for fresh investments and a true clean slate.

Published

12 months ago

June 3, 2025

Kendeno Knowles

GRAND BAHAMA, BAHAMAS – The International Bazaar’s empty shops and overgrown walkways tell a story of decline. For years, this once-bustling maze of stalls hosted families, artisans, and tourists. But hurricanes and years of neglect have left buildings crumbling, shells of what once was.

Now, the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) says recent demolitions are paving the way for fresh investments and a true clean slate, as city managers prepare for what comes next.

Nakira Wilchcombe – VP, Building and Development Services, GBPA
“We set out on contacting owners of those buildings for the consent to demolish those buildings. We would have received about 95% of the building owners’ consent.”

Wilchcombe, GBPA Vice President of Building and Development Services, says the authority fronted the demolition costs, with the plan to recoup those expenses only when the parcels are sold. Over the past five years, nearly 30 tear-downs across Freeport have removed hazards and eyesores, now blank canvases ready for new development.

Nakira Wilchcombe – VP, Building and Development Services, GBPA
“We hope that there is something that can be replaced there that brings that same type of nostalgia, and maybe something different. We’re evolving. But we did not want to keep the past in the shape that it was in.”

This clean slate ties directly to major projects already coming online. Carnival’s Celebration Key cruise port is nearing completion and is set to welcome thousands of passengers weekly. Meanwhile, talks to reimagine the Grand Lucayan Resort aim to restore the landmark hotel and create a tourism corridor stretching from the shoreline through the heart of town.

Nakira Wilchcombe – VP, Building and Development Services, GBPA
“The feedback has been mixed. There are persons who still have that nostalgia of what the Bazaar meant to them, we are obviously sad to see that go. However, as managers of the city, we knew that the buildings had come to a state of no repair, we had to act, and that we did.”

And now, with the Bazaar nearly wiped clean and transformative developments on the horizon, Wilchcombe says she hopes this blank canvas will bring growth, jobs, and the renewed pride that Grand Bahamians truly deserve.