The Gap Revitalization Committee hopes to raise approximately $500 000 by year-end in an effort to inject life into the once vibrant St Lawrence Gap.
In addition, Gap revitalization coordinator Hal Austin said the association would be partnering with other organizations to get roughly 7 000 visitors to the island next summer – about 2 000 in June and 5 000 in August – from which, he said, the economy should benefit from approximately $24 million.
Austin opted not to provide details as it related to getting the visitors to the island since plans were in the embryonic stage, but said the committee would be focusing mainly on entertainment and sports.
Noting that life in the Gap had deteriorated over the years and had taken “a nose dive” over the last decade, he outlined some of the challenges which operators and visitors to the Gap were seeking to address.
“We have the ongoing problem of drug peddlers, vagrants begging [and] persons harassing our visitors trying to sell them aloes [and] coconut . . . . Furthermore, the Gap general ambiance has fallen away since the massive refurbishment some ten years ago,” he said.
Austin said the committee was embarking on a number of initiatives aimed at revitalizing the party spot, which employs over 2 000 people.
He said a part of the plan was to extend the opening hours for the clubs, and introduce a maintenance programme to address the disposal of garbage, painting “and general upkeep of the Gap”.
“We are negotiating with three different entities for funding of this important piece of real estate beautification,” he said, noting that it would also cover marketing of the location and incentivising staff as well as the provision of additional parking sites.
“We want people to see St Lawrence Gap as the place to come to for enjoyment in a safe, secure environment where locals and visitors can mix and have a very good time . . . . If we have the Gap restored we can have different themed events in the Gap. We can’t wait until the tourist season to be doing things,” said Austin.
He said starting the end of this month they would be hosting a “street party” followed by a festival on Emancipation Day with elements of Bajan culture.
“The whole essence of it is that if we can do a festival every Saturday during the day along with a street party once every month we believe that we can raise most of this half million dollars to retrofit the gap to have it done instead of waiting for assistance,” he said.
Austin told BARBADOS?BUSINESS?AUTHORITY: “I think we have waited long enough, this was being talked about for the last three months and we intend to bite the bullet and seize the opportunity and achieve some success for this wonderful piece of estate. It is not beyond us we just need the corporation from everyone and the approval of the police and the MTW and collectively we can get it done”. (MM)
