1.2M Pompey Market To Open December 15

Wed, Nov 23rd 2011, 09:04 AM

The  $1.2 million home for nearly 100 merchants is nearly complete, a top executive at Baha Mar can confirm, as five small Bahamian contractors put the finishing touches on the resort's cultural, handicraft hub.

"The project created around 50 jobs, and the total cost of the area was in excess of $1.2 million when you take into [account] design, construction, roads and the five Bahamian contractors," said Robert Sands, the vice president of government and external affairs for Baha Mar.

"Everyone gets a slice of the pie. It would have been easy to give the project to one person."

It might not be the biggest or most grand project for the multimillion-dollar resort, but Pompey Market certainly has a heart.

During a tour of the Cable Beach straw market, Guardian Business was told there are three big units to house the vendors, four individual kiosks, a refreshment and daiquiri stand and an event staging area. The buildings are colorful and spread out on a spacious campus.

Bathrooms and taxi stands are also expected to have a place at the new market. Sands said the staging area will be open to traditional forms of music and dance.

A total of 92 merchants will be housed on the site, many of which "have been doing business in the area as long as the hotels".

"They have always worked in this area," he added.

"I think the reality is it speaks to the cultural entity available on Cable Beach, giving tourists the opportunity to purchase items that are Bahamian. We're improving the environment and giving a little bit more flavor."

Among the merchants and businesses soon to move over to Pompey Market on December 15 is the traditional Daiquiri Shack. Sitting across the street from the Sheraton for more than 10 years, the stand, which blends fresh fruits, has photos, business cards and memorabilia carpeting the walls and roof from its thousands of guests over the years.

The entire market, while not directly tied to the new establishment downtown, will be governed by the same rules and regulations now under final discussions by the government and the incoming board of directors. Counterfeit items and products of insufficient quality will be kept out of the stalls, and instead there is a special focus on wood carving, painting and other handicrafts.

With more than 2,000 rooms included in the rising Baha Mar development, the vendors at Pompey Market stand to be some of the more unlikely beneficiaries of the mega resort.

"We don't want to send them downtown and saturate the market," Sands said.

"They have loyalty and tradition in the area."

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