There are times when one is forced to give room to our various political administrations to outline their priorities and the necessary timelines to deliver on those areas.
However, there are times when governments have to be held to account, sometimes with stinging critiques to remind them the electorate is watching, and is not pleased.
Most Barbadians would agree that administering the affairs of a small, open economy of a developing country like ours is a major task, given the vagaries of the global environment.
Despite the challenges faced by various administrations such as the global financial crisis that emerged in late 2007 or the crippling global pandemic of 2019-2020, we are still convinced that a comprehensive development plan for maintenance and expansion of our capital city was not prioritised.
What has occurred in the interim are sporadic starts and sputters but no real plan that the people of Barbados can identify with or even had an input in developing.
During the last administration of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), much was made of the efforts to have Bridgetown listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.
According to the profile cited by UNESCO, Historic Bridgetown and Its Garrison represent one of the best examples of British colonial architecture comprising several 17th, 18th and 19th Century properties that have been well-preserved.
In addition, UNESCO highlights the Garrison for the number of military installations and historic buildings.
What is ironic is the fact that many of the beautiful structures proudly cited on the UNESCO website are ones that are now condemned, abandoned, or in serious distress.
These include the West Wing of the Parliament Buildings and Museum of Parliament which has been closed for years, the historic Bridgetown Library which has been shuttered for almost a decade, the Old Spirit Bond on Wharf Road, St Michael’s Cathedral which is in dire need of repair and several buildings at St Ann’s Fort, an area that is reportedly targeted for disposal for private sector development.
Our key concern though, is the fact that Bridgetown has been losing its appeal and commercial activity continues to dwindle. One could arguably suggest that the only thing growing in Bridgetown is the number of vagrants and homeless seeking shelter.
The closure of City mainstays such as the Waterfront Café and popular entertainment spots in that area, coupled with the closure of major retailers and government offices throughout Bridgetown have severely reduced foot traffic.
It is a vicious cycle. Businesses have no reason to keep their doors open if no one is coming to The City.
While there have been some plans announced such as conversion of the old Treasury Building into a residential complex, the last major housing facility was London Bourne Towers.
Other state-owned residential establishments are located on the outskirts and do not require residents to enter the major shopping and commercial thoroughfares to access or leave their homes.
The much-vaunted Pierhead Project has been on the cards for three decades and we wait to see what will actually be constructed and what impact it will have on the social and commercial life of Bridgetown.
The unavoidable truth is that successive administrations have not provided incentives for the private sector to invest in keeping Bridgetown alive. In fact, one could argue that the rapid movement of government offices from the city also fuelled its demise.
Chairman of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s (BCCI) Sub-committee for the Revitalisation of Bridgetown, Mr Eddy Abed has highlighted some of the challenges in Bridgetown as it prepares to receive thousands of visitors for the International Cricket Council’s Men’s T-20 World Cup.
Having canvassed the retail members of the BCCI many promises remain unfulfilled, a week before fans and teams begin arriving.
Abed stated: “We were told that some of the vacant properties’ frontages would have been done up with murals, while flowers would have been added along the streets to give us a more tropical and festive feel. We have not yet seen this happen.”
“We were told that we would see more lighting and signage throughout the main commercial streets of Bridgetown.
“This is necessary because many of the matches start or begin after dark and people need to be comfortable when they are traversing from the bus stand to Kensington.”
This is all emblematic of inconsistent policy on what we want as a country for our capital city.
