The Once and Future City of Nassau

by Larry Smith

"Ya better see what ya looking at" --Emma Ritchie-Burnside

According to Emma's great-grandson, architect Jackson Burnside, "if we could see the value of what we look at every day, Nassau would have the same potential as Charleston, which has exploited its past to the point where even modest buildings are extremely valuable."

He was a panelist on Island FM's Sunday Conversation (hosted by Patti Roker) this past weekend. Other guests included fellow architect Mark Henderson, who is seeking to revitalise the Bahamas National Trust's historic preservation committee; financial consultant Dick Coulson, who is a member of the Nassau Tourism Development Board; and amateur historian Paul Arahna.

The discussion was sparked by a mini-supplement written by yours truly, which ran in the Tribune a couple of weeks ago. It was called: "Whatever Happened to Historic Nassau?" and most of the photos were by Dick Coulson, who had the idea of trying to shame the owners of some of Nassau's most valuable - and most disgusting - real estate.

We featured a selection of buildings in the heart of the city that, by any measure, are eyesores which grossly disrespect our heritage and damage our tourism industry. Some are invaluable historical relics. Others contribute much to the Bahamian character of the community. All are derelict. And most are owned by the government or wealthy individuals with the resources to do something about their condition.

That dozen or so eyesores - properties that we classified as the worst examples of civic irresponsibility -included the 19th century convent on West Hill Street gutted by Canadian Jeffrey Waterous; the spectacular Cascadilla estate on East Street left to rot by lawyer Raymond Wong; the vacant loyalist home opposite Government House owned by retired politician Henry Bostwick; the abandoned Pan American sea plane terminal at the Eastern Parade, and the derelict Customs shed on Arawak Cay - both owned by government.

That little publication - which included a thumbnail history of each property - generated a lot of interest among folks who are worried about the loss of our heritage and the seemingly unstoppable deterioration of the capital.

Our goal was to support the revitalization of Nassau within the context of historic preservation, which means using the best of what we already have as a foundation for renewal. The plain fact is that historic buildings are irreplaceable - we have neither the money nor the skills to recreate them.

As Paul Aranha put it, we should do what the Romans do: "The city of Rome is thousands of years old, and it is wonderful to imagine what those stones can tell us. Millions go to Rome every year for that very reason, and lots of people will come here to share our history.

"More to the point, if we want to know where we are going, we must know where we come from. It is good to find our roots - whether it's our family or our community."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington DC says the downtown area of a city is the most visible indicator of community pride, as well as economic and social health: "It is either an asset or a liability in the effort to recruit new residents, new businesses, tourists, and others to your community."

Fortunately, Nassau retains much of its early architecture and streetscapes, although they are little appreciated and fading fast, despite the fact that this historical context can generate big business. For example, the main attraction for Key West, Florida, is the unique scale and character of its (Bahamian) architecture and the history that surrounds it. The commerce produced by that attraction is extraordinary.

It's the same with Charleston, South Carolina - a town no older than Nassau that shares a close historical connection with our capital. Since the Historic Charleston Foundation launched its renewal programme in 1947, the city has become a living museum that today earns almost $6 billion a year in tourist revenues.

So it's hard to explain why we in the Bahamas are so indifferent to our own fascinating heritage. Some argue that it's a racial issue, but as Jackson Burnside pointed out "the spirits of so many of our people - rich and poor, black and white - are embodied in these structures. It's true that some couldn't get in the front door back then, but they built the front door. We all contributed to the development of this town, and when we understand that history we can find value in it."

Historic buildings have character and scale that modern buildings often lack, experts say. Buildings from the 19th century and earlier predate the automobile and have details that pedestrians can appreciate. But most of us drive by Nassau's crumbling walls and buildings every day, totally immune to the signs of decay.

Looking at communities like Key West or Harbour Island, we are uplifted by the sight of something beautiful. It takes a lot of effort and investment to create and protect these picture-perfect communities, but there are simple things we can do that can make a big difference here in Nassau - just cleaning up, for example, would go a long way towards changing our perspective.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure that out," Burnside said ingenuously. "A little maintenance and management may be all that's necessary to encourage revitalisation. We just need to take the first small steps by getting rid of the debris and making some repairs so we can see the potential - just like we did when we acquired our decrepit old building on Village Road. We become inspired to make changes for the better."

Dick Coulson agreed: "What counts is the decision of individual owners who want to do something. For example, I am involved with the Jacaranda project. This fine old home near the main post office was vacant and neglected for over 20 years, until one of Nancy Oakes' heirs had the idea of redeveloping it as a boutique hotel and restaurant.

"Quite often the owners of these historic properties are not poverty-stricken by any means. And hard-headed businesspeople all over the world use their wealth and vision to contribute to society in this way."

And since real estate values rise for surrounding properties when restoration takes place, it makes economic sense for everyone. There are also duty and tax exemptions for designated historic buildings that owners can take advantage of. So why just throw that value away? What benefit, for example, does an enormously successful contractor like George Mosko (who owns the old residence on Cumberland Street that once housed the Billabong Pub) get out of being a slumlord?

As talk show host Patti Roker said, "we are surrounded by beautiful old buildings whose owners apparently have no inention of restoring. But all of our finest restaurants are located in similar old homes. Cascadilla could be an incredible moneymaker, and that's what is expected from Jacaranda."

Some say we need more heritage education in our schools. Others - like architect Pat Rahming - say we should preserve historic Nassau while building a new city on the ridge to reflect current values and aspirations. Others - like Mark Henderson - say that peripheral issues like parking must be addressed as part of an integrated plan. And still others say we must mandate historic preservation.

Jackson Burnside noted that derelict parts of Bain Town and Grants Town were acquired by the government several years ago for new public housing developments, "Yet the government claims it can do nothing about Jeffrey Waterous walking away from that convent after bastardising it. The same people that took my grandfather's land by eminent domain can take it from him."

This argument calls for a government authority with the power to seize derelict and neglected properties within a designated historic district, for repair and restoration at the expense of the property owners. In exchange there should be incentives to make it attractive for property owners to maintain and manage their properties.

In fact, The Bahamas Antiquities Corporation is supposed to be working to resolve some of these issues, although its head, Dr Keith Tinker, does not return phone calls. As a starting point they have published a register of historic buildings based on earlier work by the Bahamas National Trust. This list is being documented by June Maura of the Bahamas Historical Society.

And legislation is said to be in the works to fine recalcitrant owners up to half-a-million dollars for failure to comply with a restoration order, and to authorize the seizure of non-compliant properties. But of course, this begs the question of what sanctions we can apply when the public sector fails to fulfill its obligations.

The abandoned sea plane terminal at the Eastern Parade is the first sight of Nassau for tourists walking over the new Paradise Island bridge. And the derelict Customs shed on Arawak Cay is the first sight of Nassau for hundreds of thousands of cruise visitors. Both these properties are owned by the government and hold immense untapped value, yet for decades they have been left to rot in an ever-growing pile of garbage.

Ever since the 1960s, we have spent millions of dollars on study after study by both local and foreign experts advising us to clean up our act, preserve what's left of our culture, protect our environment and remain Bahamian. And every year we disregard this costly advice.

There is no argument against it - no philosophy that leads us to challenge what we are told. We just ignore it, for no particular reason other than boorishness and indifference.

So what, in the end, will our grandchildren inherit from us? How can we tackle the really difficult issues like crime and social implosion when we can't even deal with a no-brainer like this?

Comments

[nicob]

Thank you, Larry, for saying this. It's fundamental to who we are, and we need to keep the issue alive.

Cheers.

[Ta'Shar Cuccurullo]

Well said!

[Jackson Burnside]

Thanks for making my Great Gran' Ma, and me, known in Tough Call.

I enjoyed "seeing" the radio show from a different perspective. Please keep wood in this fire. you seem to reach the community with more force than anybody has in the past. Perhaps, our community is tired of the blight now, and is ready to fight this nonsense. Please count me in the lobby.

[Godfrey Lightbourn]

An excellent heads-up for dear Old Nassau. And it has special merit because it does not spare some punches where they should be leveled.

I am so glad you have named Waterous for his "contribution"! I knew West Hill very well in the late 30's and 40's.

My mother was born at "Sunning Ridge" which Waterous now owns. That should make it an "Historic Building"!!

My grandparents' home was on the corner of West Hill and West St., and Sir Walter K. Moore was across the street at Villa Doyle. Am so glad the latter was saved.

My family described the terrific heat at their house there when the Britsh Colonial was burning (in 1920s)!

I hope some lobbying will get attention.

Cavalier, Mosko, and a couple of others bid on demolishing The Ugly Bldgs, on the Eastern end of Arawak cay in 1990 +/-. Our quote was about $ 225,000 then. Others were similar.

I also put in a proposal not long after to remove the upper storey and develop offices / restaurant on the deck, and warehousing for shippers underneath. A fantastic location/view. Believe it or not, but the suspended or 2nd floor slab is structurally sound !

This really was incorporated with a Shipping Terminal proposal, incorporating a Ferry type operation, in conjunction with Cavalier Shipping (now Arawak Stevedoring which combines Cavalier Shipping and Brahma Shipping).