The successful inscription of Historic Bridgetown And Its Garrison as a World Heritage Site forces us not only to conserve and showcase our precious heritage, but also to continue redeveloping our capital city.
However, without proper management we’ll achieve little. We all know our major weakness in Barbados – we take forever to do anything. Neither the central Government nor any type of committee can manage Bridgetown.
Therefore, the first and most critical thing to do is to create an independent entity, along the lines of the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. hat will have the clout to manage the maintenance and development of Bridgetown and drive the process.
Let’s call it Bridgetown Inc. It might have a governing board comprising the present World Heritage Committee as well as people with a knowledge of and passion for Bridgetown like Dame Billie Miller, Professor Henry Fraser, Morris Greenidge and Dr Karl Watson.
Bridgetown Inc. would be responsible for:
• ensuring that Barbados complies with all the UNESCO-mandated requirements;
• managing redevelopment;
• managing supply of services for The City; and
• managing a Bridgetown Future Fund.
One of the main goals of Bridgetown Inc. would be to manage a Bridgetown Future Fund, in which local and overseas investors, including the Barbadian diaspora, could participate.
This fund, managed with the highest standards of transparency and accountability, would also allow benefactors to earmark their contributions to specific projects if they so wish, for example, restoration or development of particular sites.
It’s critical that much more of the tax revenues generated from property and activities in The City are reinvested. Bridgetown Inc. could also collect revenue from the installation and operation of parking meters and all public parking lots. All of the present Government-owned property in Bridgetown should be vested in Bridgetown Inc.
Without such dedicated management, creative policies and significant investment, Bridgetown, despite its World Heritage status, will languish rather than flourish.
Zoning code
To accomplish this we need to have an architectural zoning code for Bridgetown that would provide, through a policy of covenants and other instruments, a framework of realistic, clearly understood incentives and penalties attached to listed heritage buildings so that property owners are aware of their rights and responsibilities.
One of the keys to the revitalization of Bridgetown is getting more people to reside in The City. Historically, those towns have thrived which have combined residential and commercial uses, for it is people who bring a city alive. If when shops and businesses close in the evening there are no people on the streets, The City will continue to deteriorate.
If people are to reside once again in Bridgetown in large numbers, then we must have many well designed low-rise buildings (three to ten storeys). Those that front main roads, like Roebuck Street or Lower Bay Street, should have retail shops and offices on the first two floors and the space above devoted to apartments.
Moreover, we must get away from our obsession with segregating housing by income. It’s not difficult to sensibly integrate in one complex both more expensive and affordable housing.
The provision of high-density accommodation won’t happen by chance or by leaving it to the market. Bridgetown Inc. would have to take the lead by designating areas for such buildings and facilitating their construction through the right mix of incentives, zoning and compulsory acquisition.
There are many areas suitable for high-density housing: Belleville, Bay Street, River Road, Martindale’s Road, Halls Road, Strathclyde, Princess Alice Highway and so on.
Another imperative is to remove derelict and substandard housing and replace it with modern low-rise housing complexes.
Finally, Bridgetown can profitably host a couple of small boutique hotels surrounded, in some cases, by upscale residences – certainly one to replace the Treasury Building, which is on a site more appropriate for earning rather than taxing revenue.
With the proximity to beautiful beaches, an expanded and redeveloped picturesque waterfront, and a revitalized city, Historic Bridgetown would be a magnificent city in which to live as well as stay on vacation.
• Peter Laurie is a retired diplomat and commentator on social issues. Email plaurie@caribsurf.com