The recent town meeting on the Albany Development at St. Paul’s Catholic Church hall - is one that was appreciated by many of the surrounding residents present. This writer was in the front row, and was indeed attentive to the business at hand.

It is my view that our new administration should give the developers its full blessings to proceed, as the project is indeed exactly what the doctor ordered for southwest Nassau. It’s a decent one in my opinion.

I am fully aware of the economic impact on the nearby communities when South Ocean Hotel was in full operation over the years. It made restaurant and bar owners, shop keepers too - happy and busy in Adelaide Village – for example.

The Oasis on Adelaide road was also lively with tourists, so was the Mom and Pop Shop in Mount Pleasant village. The Car rental business there -was also bustling.

Let’s not forget the Western Transportation that use to be loaded on every run from South Ocean to down town. It was their bread and butter base for many years. Lots of taxi drivers too, were greatly motivated to make South Ocean Resort their stand, because of its active and lucrative customer base. The Albany project with its sophisticated concept is good news and friendly in many respects for the working class of west New Providence Island in particular.

The small strip of uneven sentimental way that’s proposed to be diverted – in order to make this luxury resort community a reality, is a minute price to pay for a project that will contribute at least $3,000,000,000.00 (Three billion dollars) to the Bahamian treasury and workers over the next fifteen years. It’s a small cost when compared to the enormous employment opportunities that will come along, as a result of Albany’s vision.

Familiar drivers of the proposed diverted strip of road are cognizant of what it’s like when flooding occurs. It is not a good road as it’s a seasonal and - unreliable passage so to speak. Neighbors in South Ocean could attest to the brutality of that piece of road in question when it floods.

It is costly to struggling families’ cars among others, as constant flooding results in dangerous pot-holes and cruel uneven surfaces that seem to be an eternal punishment. A lot of accidents have been instigated by the dangerous curves of this controversial path, coupled with its deadly perpetual uneven base. Its blind qualities have caught even the best drivers off guard – no doubt.

A new cut with its accompanying business and residential concept will create a fresh Bahamian entrepreneurial class that will complement the vision of the developers, and contribute in so many positive ways to the Bahamian economy in the short and long terms.

Let the record reflect therefore, that Dennis Dames and family of Mount Pleasant Village - wholeheartedly supports the Albany development in southwest Nassau, Bahamas.