ABACO FIRM OPENS $5M INDOOR STORAGE FACILITY

AN ABACO business has opened its new $5m indoor storage facility after it was forced to shut down by a combination of Hurricane Dorian’s devastation and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stephen Albury, President of Bay Breeze Marina and Storage Yamaha of Abaco, confirmed that the 30,000 square foot store opened in Dundas Town in late June. “It’s my passion,” he said. “I’ve wanted to do an indoor storage facility since we moved to Abaco in 2004.

“After Dorian we shut down completely and had to reorder our entire inventory that was actually on the island before the hurricane hit. We got them back in, and we were ready to get started and then COVID hit. So we had to slow down again. So, we’re now almost four years later at the point where we are fully opened.”

Construction on the new building took three years, added Mr Albury, as he initially imagined rebuilding to half the size. But, during the pandemic, the availability of Hotels Encouragement Act incentives and rebuilding exemptions prompted the family to double the facility’s size.

Mr Albury said his family has been involved with the Yamaha brand since 1996, and described Bay Breeze Marina as being the “first true indoor storage facility for boats in The Bahamas”. The new store has the capability of hauling boats up to 42 feet in length and 24,000 pounds in weight, plus servicing any Yamaha outboard that is on the market with parts and motors in-stock.

“We’ve got some plans to also add two-bedroom, two-bath waterfront bungalows with dock access. Cut out at the point in our safe harbour marina in 2024.

Dundas Town is outside the main harbour entrance and has unrestricted access to the sea of Abaco. It’s a central point for many