Tenants rush for old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall building at Cheapside, Bridgetown, may have lost its status as a watering hole and karaoke stomping ground, but businesses have been “lining up” to take over the spaces recently vacated by stores and a restaurant/sports bar.The landlord, the Barbados Tourism Investment Incorporated (BTI), says there has been no shortage of applications for the spaces.“We have more applications than we have space,” BTI’s chief executive officer Stuart Layne told the DAILY NATION yesterday.“By the end of month we would have taken a decision on new tenants for the three spaces available.”Layne pointed out that the top floor of the building remained “fully tenanted” and some of the ground floor was occupied.He said the departure of the three businesses from the old Town Hall building was just part of the ritual of business life in Barbados and elsewhere.The old Town Hall building is home to the BTI and businesses, including Needham’s Point Holdings Ltd. and Needham’s Point Development.The building, restored and redeveloped by the BTI, was reopened in December 2005.Last year the restaurant/sports bar, with some outdoor dining and relaxation and weekend karaoke sessions, was a popular liming spot.With its closure, the old Town Hall building has grown quiet again. (TY)