Realtor says frequent and worsening storms should prompt action among decisionmakers.

As Floridians begin the long process of cleaning up following the deadly Hurricane Ian, and Bahamians are forced to confront the reality of more active and devastating hurricane seasons, Bahamian real estate pioneer Mario Carey said a vast property on the south side of New Providence is ideally suited to serve as a regional natural disaster response and relief centre, potentially speeding up restoration efforts from the southern US to the tip of South America when storms strike.  
 
“Historically, Nassau has been a fairly safe bet when it comes to hurricanes,” said Carey. 

“Data shows the island has few direct hits compared to others in the archipelago. And for that reason, combined with the fact that the large majority of supplies in The Bahamas enter through and stay in New Providence, it makes sense that a dedicated disaster response site be on the island.” 
 
And Carey has a specific location in mind — the iconic 62-acre property that historically housed a Bacardi rum manufacturing plant, which Carey says is one of only a few industrial-zoned properties on the waterfront of southern New Providence. The property’s location, just five minutes from the Lynden Pindling International Airport, is another strategic benefit. 
 
With 1,235 feet of water frontage and existing buildings, most of which are high-grade dry warehouses, comprising more than 400,000 interior square feet, Carey said “the possibilities are endless.”  

Priced at $37 million, the property also features a gas station, paved asphalt roads and millions of gallons of water storage, generators and acres of vacant land for possible future development.  

“If you were designing a suitably located regional disaster response and relief headquarters, you could not ask for a better site than this huge parcel that is sitting there, available right now with so much of the needed infrastructure in place already,” Carey said. “You could have a massive storage facility with countries of the Caribbean storing supplies – generators, tents, non-perishables, water – all organized, ready to go the minute the call goes out.”  

Needed supplies could be lifted by chopper from on-site helicopter pads in addition to being transported by cargo planes from the nearby LPIA. Rescue boats could be launched within hours.  

Carey said this could prevent import delays in sourcing and importing supplies, goods and even donated services, negating applications and red tape in the aftermath of a crisis.  

“The new U.S. embassy is deemed a hurricane shelter for its personnel,” he said. 

“In the event of the need, the embassy and a location like the Bacardi property can function well. If set up as a hurricane centre, the property already has a lot of the needed amenities. 
 
“The site has been engineered and has withstood many hurricanes and it’s deemed a dry site in regards to flooding.” 
 
Carey also cited the recent impact of Hurricane Fiona on Puerto Rico as an example of a scenario in which such a relief centre could prove helpful for the region. 

 “The Bahamas has very few things it can export to the U.S.,” said Carey. 

“But this is one of them. We just saw Hurricane Ian devastate parts of Florida only days after Hurricane Fiona impacted Puerto Rico.  

“New Providence is ideally positioned to be able to respond not only to disasters in our own country, but also in the broader Caribbean region and the southeast U.S.” 

But while he maintained the property would be well-suited for such a relief centre, Carey said its many features appeal to all sorts of investors. 

“Any investor would want to explore the possibility of dredging for mega yachts and developing a marina,” he said.