GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — Minister of Housing and Urban Renewal, the Hon. Keith Bell announced that work in the Garden Villas area is set to begin shortly now that the government has inked its first conveyance.

“We have signed the first conveyance for a number of the buildings and the cheque has gone to the owner. We will take possession of a number of those buildings and we’re going to start the work very soon,” he said during his keynote address at the Urban Renewal Citizens Advisory Committee launch in Grand Bahama on Monday, September 30, 2024.

The project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Renewal, the Ministry for Grand Bahama, the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the Grand Bahama Development Company as part of the government’s agenda to address the housing and environmental issues plaguing inner-city communities in Grand Bahama — more specifically the decrepit state of the housing complex in the Garden Villas area.

Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey also revealed that as part of an urban sustainability initiative, the City of Freeport was selected as one of 24 cities to participate in the Cities Forward Programme — a collaborative initiative between the US State Department, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, Resilient Cities Catalyst, and the Institute of the Americas.

“We have identified impoverished areas for revitalization; dilapidated buildings to be repurposed; issues in private subdivisions that need to be addressed; and water, electricity and sewage challenges in communities,” she said.

“At this same time, we are developing a plan for creating smart cities with innovative solutions, creating sustainable eco systems for developments and empowering residents.”

Minister Moxey added that the first project will be the Garden Villas project, a residential area centrally located in the City of Freeport that is ripe with potential.

The plan includes revitalizing the community, developing a resilience centre, and an affordable housing project in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Renewal.

“I am excited about this project because I know it will transform the Garden Villas community and positively impact the lives of the residents. We are also partnering with the Ministry of National Security on a resilience centre and the Ministry of Social Services to meet the basic needs of residents,” she said.

Minister Moxey thanked Ministers Bell and Minister of State in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Renewal, the Hon. Lisa Rahming for their cooperation while adding that all of the projects her ministry has undertaken will require a collaborative effort.

      
GARDEN VILLAS – The government has announced that work to address the housing and environmental issues in the Garden Villas area is set to begin shortly.    

(BIS Photos/Lisa Davis)