Access Industries says access to beach blocked as development on condo-hotel project begins

Access Industries, the Paradise Island developer that blocked one access point to Cabbage Beach, said the decision was made for safety reasons as it forges ahead with plans for a multi-million condominium project. The developer added that “the public still can readily access the beach at Beach Club Drive, off Paradise Island Drive, or consider Junkanoo Beach or Montagu Beach on Nassau.”

However, the decision to fence off beach access sparked fury, particularly among beach vendors, who said their property was removed from the beach without notice or permission. Vendors uprooted a portion of the fence and returned their items to the beach.

“Clearing work on the privately owned, vacant tract has begun for a condominium-hotel development,” the developer said in a statement.

“The Paradise Island project is expected to generate more than $250 million in investment and economic activity for the Bahamas, including new jobs in construction, tourism and related industries. Due to safety concerns during the work phase, the path that runs over the private tract to the beach will be closed.

 “Unauthorized items that had been left on the private property have been carefully collected, and security will have them available for pickup through Friday.”

Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar told The Nassau Guardian he was blindsided by the decision by Access Investments to block access to Cabbage Beach. He added that the vendors have every right to be upset.

“I had no idea that this was going to happen until my phone started to blow up this morning about a fence being erected and access to Cabbage Beach being denied,” D’Aguilar said.

“…But I understand what these vendors are complaining about. They have been blindsided. They haven’t been consulted. No one said anything to them. And I agree with their level of vexation right now. There certainly needs to be some kind of accommodation for their request.”

The minister said he asked the developer to accommodate the vendors who operate from the beach.

** In a previous version of this story, The Nassau Guardian incorrectly identified the developer as Access Investments. We apologize for the error.

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/access-industries-says-access-to-beach-blocked-as-development-on-condo-hotel-project-begins/