When Charles Klonaris was a boy, he remembers downtown Nassau was a lively, vibrant place.
Back then he lived on West Street, which in the 1950's was a prominent residential area filled with large, majestic homes.  In fact, many of the streets downtown, from Queen Street to Cumberland Street, were a different place.  Not all of the residents were Bahamians, as many expatriate families tended to live in their winter homes all the way up to Easter.

"On the weekends, retail stayed open until at least 10pm on Saturdays," he remembers.  "So between that and the night clubs, there was an enjoyable night life.  The movie theatre was downtown, the grocery stores, barber shops ... it was a living city."  Klonaris, the Co-Chairman of the Downtown Nassau Partnership, said bringing residents back to the downtown core is key to the city's future.

"We need people to come back to the downtown area," he said. "Forty acres of waterfront property living space will go a long way to achieving that.  We're trying to produce an area that's not just for up-scale residents, but for all Bahamians."  This week, the Downtown Nassau Partnership took another step forward in achieving that goal.

At their latest board meeting, Klonaris said Nassau's new town square was top of their agenda.  As the Straw Market venders prepare to leave in October, the board is feverishly making plans with architects and engineers to design the city's new heart.  Although the design has yet to be decided, the town square is a key component to bringing life back to the downtown core.

"To be successful, you need 10 important destinations downtown that brings life and connections to the city, and this is one of them," he said.  "The importance of revitalization is also linked to the economic engine.  The square will create opportunities and jobs - and diverse jobs for all locals to become involved, not just the financial sector."

Since the DNP was formed in 2009, this joint venture of private and public sectors have sought to revamp the downtown area and restore its former splendor.  At the center of their plans is the relocation of shipping companies along Bay Street to Arawak Cay, which will open up prime real estate and provide the canvas on which to design the city's new downtown.
The new 56-acre port at Arawak Cay is scheduled to be operational by December, though construction will not be complete until April 2012.

Now 67, Klonaris knows you cannot restore the city to exactly what it was.  But he believes the city needs more of a cultural and creative experience by bringing in cafes, restaurants, well-lit streets, pedestrian walkways, and most importantly, an effective mix of businesses and residents.

John Bethell, the owner of Bethell Estates and a member of the DNP's Board of Directors, has similar memories of growing up in old downtown Nassau.  He remembers a strong residential base.  Tourists would stay at hotels downtown, he said.  There was the original market where you could get fresh vegetables, fish and meat.  But progress got slow, he said, and all of that moved away.  Only the store venders stayed behind.

Similar to many U.S. cities, people started moving to the suburbs, and the commerce slowly followed them.  Malls were built outside the downtown core, giving consumer access to everything they needed.  "People didn't need to go downtown anymore," he said.  And as a result, the historical center deteriorated.  Its history, tradition and the people who lived there slowly started to fade.

Klonaris said a sudden rise in population meant the downtown area grew more congested, with shipping and container terminals taking over the coastline.  "There was a bit of chaos which caused a lot of people to move out," he said.  Bethell agrees that the right mix of commerce and residential properties is crucial.  The idea, he said, is to have people living downtown, rather than just visiting.

Bethell, who owns significant tracks of land along the downtown waterfront, said condominiums and rental properties will be included in the plans for development.
"With our development, what it costs to build and develop the property, you need a customer base," Bethell said.

"You want to attract people to come to it, spend and have a good time.  But just as important  is the core customer base, the people who live there, and we're moving forward to achieve that."

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