The distinctive arch called the Torii Gate, marking the entrance of the International Bazaar, was suddenly torn down last week, provoking reactions that ranged from outrage to cheers.

The first indication of the demolition was the appearance of a crane at the site on Wednesday morning and photos soon flooded social media with comments like "shame", "shortsighted" and "should have been left as a reminder of the good times in Freeport".

There were other comments like, "It's a reminder of promises made but not kept."

The owner of D'Car Rental, Darren Cooper, a longtime advocate for the removal of dilapidated buildings including the International Bazaar, admitted the Torii Gate was a reference that was useful for giving directions to his customers.

"But I hope when it is all said and done, we won't seek to just remove the Torii Gate, but to clean up the city of Freeport in the removal of all the dilapidated, unmaintained buildings," Cooper said.

Rose Carson, a former music teacher, said in a social media post, "So, so sad. A memory of how Freeport used to be. It was a landmark. So many events, so many happy events held there. Many of my old students contacted me to remember when they performed there.

"There was no reason to remove the Torii Gate. Any development could have built around it. The end of Freeport. A very sad day."

Patricia Gape said, "This landmark has gone. Freeport people knew this for so long; how very sad. Old great Freeport is slowly disappearing."

Debbie Lambert believes that there are many other structures on Grand Bahama that should have been torn down before the Torii Gate was touched.

"To a lot of us who lived here back in the day when it was built, it was a bit of a landmark to the memory of good times," Lambert said.

Once known as the island's shopping mecca and a major tourist attraction, the International Bazaar slowly fell into ruin following Hurricane Jeanne and Hurricane Frances, becoming the

residence of the homeless and rodents, and a dumping site.

In the past 18 months, the abandoned buildings also became the targets of arsonists, leaving the structures as burned-out shells.

Residents started calling for the bazaar to be demolished as it had become an eyesore in the center of the city on the route along which many busloads of tourists are driven.

On May 3, officials from the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) in collaboration with owners demolished the structurally unsound buildings of the African and Asian sections.

In 2020, an online petition was launched by a group called Ignite Grand Bahama, asking the GBPA to demolish the Torii Gate, and as of mid-August of that year, more than 3,000 signatures had been gathered.

However, whether the list of signatures was actually forwarded to the GBPA could not be confirmed.

GBPA Assistant City Maintenance Manager in the Building and Development Services Department Renardo Karageorgiou said the Torii Gate was demolished at the request of Bazaar Owners' Association President Chris Paine, who is also one of the 12 owners of the property.

Karageorgiou did not indicate whether it was also the GBPA's intent to remove it. He said the Torii Gate was structurally sound and the GBPA only takes down structurally unsound structures.

When contacted, Paine said, "It is coming down because it advertises a property that is no longer. It is a big advertisement for a burnt out and vandalized eyesore in the middle of Grand Bahama. So, why on earth would you want to keep it?

"It is a complete waste of time because the whole area needs to be redeveloped, including the neighboring property, the Royal Oasis."

The design for the International Bazaar, which opened in 1967, was the brainchild of a motion picture special effects expert from California.

The Torii Gate is a traditional Japanese gate commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto Shrine where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred.

It also symbolizes "welcome" in Japanese, and was placed at the entrance of the International Bazaar to attract visitors to the island and residents alike to enjoy the international shopping experience the mecca offered.

"I wish that it could have been preserved and put in another area as a reminder of the beginning of Freeport," Andree d'Arville Stewart said.

Rayn Carroll believes the Torii Gate should not have been demolished, but kept as a memorial to the International Bazaar.

"To tear this down without public input is criminal. Now, we have nothing to remind us of our early years of Freeport's iconic shopping area."

The post Mixed emotions as Torri Gate torn down appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

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