In its hay day, the Silver Sands Hotel property on Grand Bahama Island welcomed thousands of guests from around the world.

However, following the devastation wrought by multiple hurricanes, the resort, which had once been a beacon of relaxation, has been left abandoned and uninhabitable.

The now structurally unsound buildings have become not just an eyesore to the surrounding community but a potential danger as well.

As part of its mission to rid the city of Freeport of such derelict properties, the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) set its sights on the property which was marked for demolition on Wednesday, May 9th.

The GBPA has received and catalogued numerous complaints from residents and its licensees; who expressed safety concerns about the Silver Sands Hotel.

These complaints catalysed the GBPA to begin its investigation, that ultimately led to the building being removed from the cityscape for safety reasons.

“We began investigating and working on Silver Sands a few years ago,” said Mr. Renardo Karageorgiou, GBPA Assistant City Maintenance & Management Manager, in speaking with local press. 

“The property is in a densely populated location favoured by tourists but due to wear and tear and hurricane damage it had become structurally unsound.”

Karageorgiou went on to note that the demolition process would take up to two months to complete; two weeks for building demolition and the balance to remove debris and secure plumbing and sceptic needs.

He also estimated costs for this work to exceed over three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

The GBPA has enlisted the help of local engineers, and the expertise of Gordon Ritchie of A&C Heavy Equipment, Heavy Construction to oversee the demolition process and Morgan’s Pumping Limited.

This is the second building to be demolished by the Grand Bahama Building and Development Services Department in recent months, the first being the Professional Plaza on Pioneers Way which was once home to scores of businesses before suffering major structural damages inflicted by the passage of hurricanes.

“The GBPA is committed to monitoring, improving and, where necessary, clearing the cityscape of Freeport to ensure that our island is ready for growth and investment” noted Rupert Hayward, GBPA Director.

“We are working closely and continuously with our licensees, local property owners, the Government and Ministry of Tourism to guarantee that residents and visitors alike have a lasting, positive impression of Freeport.

Demolition is never a happy moment, but it gives an opportunity for new beginnings, and provides new pastures from which the green shoots of recovery can grow. I would like to thank Nakira Wilchcombe and her team at our Building and Development Services Department and our City Manager, Troy Macintosh, for their hard work and perseverance without which this new chapter for Silver Sands would not be possible.”