BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – Grand Bahama Port Authority President Ian Rolle believes that the impending grand opening of a new indoor shopping mall will provide employment and economic opportunities in Grand Bahama.

The Circle Mall, some 40,000 sq ft of building space, will be made up of about 54 stores and outlets, kiosks and a food court area. It is expected to create more than 100 jobs for Bahamians.

“The economic benefits of the Circle Mall project are good encouragement for the unemployment numbers, economic injection and quality of life amenities for Grand Bahama,” Mr Rolle said of the Mall’s upcoming grand opening on Saturday.

President Rolle believes that it is a “great addition” to the island.

“It is the first for Freeport and it is already beginning to bear fruit.

“I am told that, directly and via its tenants, the Circle Mall has created over 150 new jobs. Further, another 30 or more persons were employed specifically for the build-out of the various spaces for rent.

“I believe that this project, along with numerous others over recent times, signal brighter days ahead for Grand Bahama’s economy,” he said.

Hannes Babak, owner and developer of the Circle Mall, said the concept for the indoor shopping mall was initially the idea of Ray Simpson of Freeport Building Supplies.

Both men collaborated on the project to bring it to reality, creating a fully air-conditioned indoor mall similar to shopping malls in the United States.

Mr Babak said plans are underway for a grand opening.

“It is the first, largest, and only fully air-conditioned indoor mall on Grand Bahama right now,” he added.

According to Babak, the mall concept allows entrepreneurs to open or start small businesses with very little capital.

He revealed that more than 40 of the mall’s 54 spaces have been rented.

Store operators are impressed with the overall outcome, and the concept has been received exceptionally well by the public, Babak said.

As the first of its kind for the island, Babak says he hopes that it will do well, having a positive impact on the economy.

“While I believe that the economy is making an upward turn, we need not to wait to invest, but to take the initiative and push the economy forward.” Babak commented.

Mrs Stuart, a storeowner at Circle Mall, is encouraging other young entrepreneurs to consider opening a business at the facility.

“The location is great, it is an affordable start-up, and there are still rental spaces available. If you understand the vision, you will see that there are opportunities and room for tremendous growth, but like every window of opportunity, timing is everything,” she said.

President Rolle said the Grand Bahama economy is slowly on the rise and domestic investor confidence in Freeport is growing.

“We are seeing more and more local investment and re-investment projects; this is what Grand Bahama needs,” he said. “I applaud the investors that are expanding and opening new locations.

“There are opportunities and those with the vision to position their businesses for the economy’s rebound, will benefit greatly. At GBPA, we have made investing or re-investing for Bahamians easier than ever, so I encourage all to seek out opportunities and become stakeholders in your island’s economy,” Mr Rolle said.