NASSAU, The Bahamas – Flamingo Gardens is on schedule to become the tenth Urban Renewal location in New Providence.
Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, Frankie Campbell said officials at the Ministry and the Urban Renewal Commission have received approval from the Cabinet of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas that will pave the way for the establishment of the Centre at Flamingo Gardens Park.
“The building is ready; we have the approval and there is no reason why activities won’t officially begin there within a reasonable timeframe,” Campbell said.
Campbell toured the facility on Saturday (April 13, 2019) while attending the Urban Renewal Commission’s Easter Egg Hunt/Fun Day held at Flamingo Gardens Park – one of eight Easter Egg Hunts/Fun Days hosted by the Urban Renewal Commission in New Providence Saturday.
“I think it is significant that this area has an Urban Renewal Centre that will cover the needs of the residents of Carmichael and Southern Shores, when you take into consideration the geographic make-up of the two communities,” Campbell said.
“The Flamingo Gardens Park itself is already established as an area where the people congregate. The establishment of an Urban Renewal Centre here will add more structure to some of the programmes that are already in existence, while bringing new and additional programmes that are available through the Urban Renewal Programme.
“We are going to work with those organizations/groupings that have been using the facility to ensure that we collaborate and form the kind of partnerships that have been beneficial to the area in the past. And so we are going to team up with the persons who have been involved in softball, baseball, judo, tennis, Scouts Association and Boys Brigades, all of them are going to be a part of this. We are also going to provide wellness programmes for our seniors,” Campbell added.
The newest Centre got its first volunteer on Saturday, when Gerard Butterfield, a Corporal with the Royal Bahamas Police Force, volunteered his services. A former resident of the area whose mother and other family members still reside in Flamingo Gardens, Corporal Butterfield applauded the decision. Corporal Butterfield and his sons participated in the Easter Egg Hunt/Fun Day.
“These are the kinds of activities that I can appreciate being made available for my sons to be able to enjoy; these are the kinds of programmes that I grew up on and I am happy to see that my sons can experience some of the things I experienced growing up,” Corporal Butterfield said.
“Once I heard the news that Flamingo Gardens will be the newest Urban Renewal Centre in New Providence, I just had to volunteer my services free of charge, they do not have to give me a dollar. I want to do this for my neighbourhood. I may not live around here anymore, but I have many family members and friends and their children who still live here.
“As Police Officers, the Commissioner of Police is always encouraging us to be active participants in the communities within which we live and serve, and so this also provides me with an opportunity to carry out the Commissioner’s mandate while also helping to make a difference in the community within which I was raised and lived for so many years,” Corporal Butterfield said.
This article was written by Matt Maura – Bahamas Information Services.
