By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Editor

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A Grand Bahama business owner yesterday renewed calls for urgent repairs to the deteriorating Taino Beach Bridge while raising fears it is stifling business activity and affecting residents' quality of life.

Tony “Zips” Hanna, owner of Tony Macaroni’s Conch Experience, told Tribune Business that the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) has failed to communicate with licensees and other relevant stakeholders about when the only connection between 'mainland' Freeport and Taino Beach will be restored.

He accused the GBPA of playing “political games” rather than fulfilling its responsibility to maintain Freeport’s infrastructure, adding: “The Port Authority is playing a political game. I don't know what they're doing, but they're not doing the right thing. Not only that, they have not even made a statement to the public concerning the bridge.

“The Port has not done anything. They have not invited the public to release any information concerning it. The businesses and residents around it don't know what's going on.” Mr Hanna said the deteriorating state of the Taino Beach Bridge is not just an inconvenience but is actively stalling economic growth and deterring both domestic and international investors from putting capital into the area.

He added that the uncertainty surrounding the bridge’s future has created a climate of hesitation and risk aversion, making it difficult for current property owners and entrepreneurs to capitalise on opportunities or complete transactions.

“People can't sell their property, which they contracted to five years ago. Taino Beach Resort decided to expand their property to a new buyer. They cannot do anything so that can go forward until the bridge is fixed and the Port Authority knows this and they’re playing games,” added Mr Hanna.

The bridge represents the only transport link to attractions and businesses such as Smith’s Point Fish Fry, Pirate Cove Zip Line and Water Park, the Dolphin Experience, Stoned Crab Restaurant and Tony Macaroni’s Conch Experience. However, repair progress has been slow.

Mr Hanna noted that the inability to guarantee reliable access to Taino Beach has effectively frozen real estate transactions and halted commercial expansion, with prospective investors unwilling to commit to projects in an area where basic infrastructure is in limbo.

He questioned how, despite major revenue generated through cruise tourism and other ventures, the Port Authority has failed to prioritise the repair of a critical transport artery. Mr Hanna also argued that this inaction sends a discouraging signal to developers and stakeholders about the seriousness with which the Port approaches long-term planning and infrastructure development.

“They made tons of millions from Carnival coming here so they don't have an excuse about money. So the question is: Are we going to deal with the Port Authority for another 10 years of this?” he added.

Last year, attorneys for Taino Beach Resort and its affiliated property, the Flamingo Bay Hotel and Marina, warned Ian Rolle, the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) president, in an August 14, 2024, letter that failure to properly maintain the crumbling Taino Bridge could spark legal action especially if “a collapse or closure” of this vital transport connection occurs.

Terence Gape, senior partner at Dupuch & Turnquest, in a document seen by Tribune Business warned that the bridge’s condition “represents a major threat to all residents and income earners” based on Taino Beach Island as well as potentially endangering the investments made by his client and other developers.

He argued that “the general opinion” is that the bridge’s deterioration is now so severe that a rebuild, rather than just merely repairs, is required especially given the seeming failure to resolve the key infrastructure asset’s state earlier.

The letter urged the GBPA and its affiliates, namely the Grand Bahama Development Company (DevCO) and Lucaya Service Company (LUSCO), to release a survey and engineer’s report alongside their plans to rebuild the bridge within the next 30 days. Mr Gape said developing an infrastructure asset to match “the salubrious nature” of the area would ease “the anxiety of investors and residents alike”.

And he also warned that Taino Beach Resort’s owner was exposed to a potentially “enormous” loss if the proposed purchaser were to cancel or withdraw from the deal due to concerns over Taino Bridge’s condition and the uncertainty surrounding plans to address this.