Plans to Rebuild Nassau’s Straw Market Okayed by Government

The Straw Market on Bay Street in Nassau, Bahamas, once one of the destination’s top attractions before it was destroyed by fire in 2001, may finally get a new lease on life now that a contract has been signed by the Bahamian government to begin rebuilding the facility.

In fact, the new market complex might be ready for occupancy by the summer of 2008, according to a report in the Nassau Guardian, the local newspaper.

Plans and designs have been drawn up in the past, only to be scuttled and put aside. However, this time a contract has been signed, which brings the new market a step closer to reality.

The Straw Market vendors have been housed in a tent at the end of Bay Street since the fire, but conditions are cramped and hot both for sellers and buyers.

The latest design proposal calls for a three-story complex for 600 vendors. Plans also call for a restaurant and observation tower offering views of the city and harbor.