A spokesperson for Access Industries told Guardian Business yesterday that now that the court matter has been settled once and for all, the company plans to develop a beach experience on the property that once provided beach access to Cabbage Beach for vendors.

Almost two months ago, it was agreed between Access Industries and the government that the pathway adjacent to the Riu hotel that leads to the western end of Cabbage Beach would remain open until March 31, to allow the government additional time to find an alternative solution to relocate vendors situated at that end. The property is now closed to those vendors.
Speaking with Guardian Business yesterday, the spokesperson outlined the proposed beach experience.

"There is nothing like it on any beach in New Providence. What is proposed will take the area that is now hard to get to and turn it into a genuine beach experience at a time when competition is steadily eating away at The Bahamas, because many feel that what we offer is growing stale," said the spokesperson.

"This makes a piece of beach that was only used by a small percentage appealing to many more over a far greater period of the day. It will be open at night, whereas that beach was completely off limits at night before, unless you were willing to take quite a senseless risk, so it does not restrict or restrain the use of what we refer to as Cabbage Beach, it expands it. And music will play an important part," the spokesperson said.

A sale agreement was made between Brookfield Management (owners of Atlantis) and Access Industries in June 2014.

"The reason for the closure of what has been used as an access [point] by the public, even though it was private property, is that the owners who purchased this 6.14 acre parcel along with the One&Only Ocean Club in 2014 plan to develop it," the company said.

Vendors held several heated protests after a fence was erected - blocking the pathway for vendors - in February.

The government subsequently engaged Access, which regranted access to vendors until March 31.

Last week, Supreme Court Justice Bernard Turner ruled in favor of the owners of the land.

The Cabbage Beach Vendors Association sought an injunction in December, which would have prohibited Access Industries from blocking the pathway. Access Industries submitted to the court that the vendors association had no standing to bring the application. The judge acceded to the submission.

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