By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Fort Fincastle water tower and Queen’s Staircase are set to be formally handed back to the Antiquities, Monuments & Museums Corporation (AMMC) this week to mark the near-completion of a $3m restoration project.

The AMMC announced yesterday that the handover, expected during the first week of December, comes following extensive work on the water tower and the successful refurbishment of the Queen’s Staircase.

The contract awarded to SJK Construction in May 2024 included interior and exterior restoration work to address structural concerns at the long-inactive water tower. The renovation work, which began on March 15, was initially expected to be completed within four months but had been delayed due to construction interruptions.

Don Cornish, director of the National Museum of The Bahamas, said the restoration work has been challenging and time consuming due to issues contractors encountered while carrying out repairs.

“Since March, our stakeholders have shown extraordinary patience. Working on an almost 100 year-old structure that has been closed for decades has meant uncovering issues primarily dominated by the outfitting of the water tower with a new elevator,” said Mr Cornish.

“Additionally, new systems and surfaces have been installed to strengthen, and reconfigured to meet modern safety and visitor standards. It has been painstaking work, but it is being done so that this complex can once again stand as one of the Caribbean’s most compelling heritage experiences.”

During construction, straw vendors from the site were temporarily relocated to Fort Charlotte, a move Robert Lightbourne, executive chairman of the Straw Market Authority, defended as a necessary step towards long-term improvements. 

When Tribune Business visited Fort Charlotte, vendors raised complaints about slow sales, extreme heat, damaged goods due to rain leaking through patched tarps, and rodent infestation.

Mr Cornish said that while new vendor stalls had originally been planned as part of the redevelopment project, they have not materialised due to factors beyond the AMMC’s control. 

He added that the existing stalls will be refurbished so vendors can resume business in December, and the improved facilities should generate more visitor traffic.

“While the new stalls did not come to fruition, we want the straw vendors to know that they have not been forgotten. We are now working feverishly to refurbish and upgrade the existing stalls so they are functional, safe and attractive. Our goal is simple: To get business flowing again on site without further interruption and as early as possible in December,” said Mr Cornish.

“We understand and deeply sympathise with the straw vendors whose livelihoods depend on this location. These upgrades are being done so that, going forward, the site can sustain higher volumes of visitors, better services and stronger economic opportunities for everyone who trades here.”