The revitalization of Nassau affects us all – How will you get involved?

By Jon Murray

People have been talking about the revitalization of Nassau for many years. So many years that I can’t even remember when people started talking about it. What I do remember is that while people were talking, small businesses were moving or closing. I remember having fewer and fewer places to enjoy myself as the years went by. I remember realizing that after 5pm bustling Bay Street shut down and the city became part ghost town, part tumultuous club excursion. I remember feeling as though with every passing day, month and year downtown became less my own and more foreign to me.

Finally, I grew tired of the talking and I wanted to make change, to take the city back and make it mine, to become involved and take initiative, but how? Thankfully, I wasn’t alone.

In 2009, shortly after the creation of the Downtown Nassau Partnership (DNP) a like-minded individual conceived an idea and a group was born: Take Initiative Nassau, otherwise known as TIN.

TIN is an NGO volunteer group constructed of individuals who are interested in the redevelopment of downtown Nassau. Our mission is to engender public interest and meaningful involvement in the redevelopment of the city of Nassau, through educational, social, economical and cultural means.

Since our inception we have been actively developing and assisting programs and activities that highlight downtown as a platform for everyone and as a place enabling a variety of local dialogues that can, and should, take place. A few of the projects include bar crawls, public discussions, a scavenger hunt as well as assisting projects such as the Great Bahamian Seafood & Wine Festival, the cross-disciplinary exhibition A Sudden and Violent Change and the East of East Street art project.

Unlike so many other decisions made in our country, with the existence of organizations such as the DNP and TIN we are being provided the opportunity to become a part of the process of rebuilding our city. We are adopting efforts to embrace the chance to change, shape and form the space that was once the heart of Nassau, the center of our national history and a part of our identity. It’s time for us to take initiative and make the city of our dreams our reality.

To find out more about TIN and our projects or to become a part of the dialogue by commenting on our blog, please visit us at http://tinassau.org or e-mail us at info@tinassau.org.