Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey recently gave an update on the progress being made to construct an Afro-Caribbean Marketplace on the site of the former International Bazaar in Freeport.

According to the minister the acquisition has been tedious as the Bazaar has some thirteen owners. She said, “the issue with the Bazaar, in terms of it having thirteen owners. We have already gotten agreement to acquire the land itself and so that is what we’re finalizing now in terms of payment for the land. It was budgeted for and so we looking to complete that, I would say, within the next few weeks or so.”

The minister also spoke about the economic benefits expected when the new marketplace is completed. “It’s a massive undertaking because it isn’t just virgin land that we’re using. We’re trying to solve a problem that existed on Grand Bahama for so many years, over twenty years, of the International Bazaar being in the state that it’s in.”

The government signed a project preparation facility for the project with the AFREXIM Bank last year.