A PLOT of prime real estate which sat derelict for close to a decade will be unveiled as an ultra-modern seven-storey building next year.

Boasting 50,000 square-feet of office space, the future Maxwell Roberts Building will do little to ease the stark reality of Hamilton's potential for further development as a business centre. Owners First Bermuda Group Ltd., will occupy two floors and the remaining space has already been designated for an existing insurance company, a start-up, a delicatessen, and a gymnasium.

According to statistics released by Rego Realtors in June, the City of Hamilton is facing a demand for office and retail space of 50,000 square feet. Only 5,700 square feet are available. Located at the corner of Par-la-Ville and Church Streets, the Maxwell Roberts Building will replace the Leslie A. White building and a property commonly known as the 'Chinese building'. The properties housed several commercial ventures including the former New Queen Restaurant and the Buckaroo restaurant.

The buildings were put up for sale but remained derelict as potential developers were unable to find a means of making them financially viable, said Ian Feathers. Director of Bermuda Project Managers Ltd. (BPML), he has been involved in the project since its inception. "To remove derelict property, particularly in that prime location is vital to Bermuda's image as a corporate place of excellence," he said. "And people have tried. People have actually gone through planning, purchased plans, spent a fortune. But it's never worked. They actually bought the land, did the design, but then discovered they couldn't make it pay so they sold it."

And then BPML came on board. Established in 1997, the company serves as an independent authority on industry processes and controls and is capable of guiding property owners through the entire construction cycle. Aware of that, First Bermuda Group Ltd. called on BPML to determine whether the derelict site could meet their needs.

"What they really wanted was just a few floors for themselves," Mr. Feathers explained. "What we did, instead of just bashing away at drawings at the outset, we actually analysed what was needed to be done to make it work. We did all of that before we started any drawings whatsoever ? a complete analysis. It's hand drawn. It's mathematics. It's an analysis of the planning rules ? a desk top study if you like.

"We examined it and said, 'Look, it won't work out. It will never pay for itself.'"

BPML presented First Bermuda Group Ltd. with several options. Eventually, all but one were dismissed.

"We looked at all of the options we could come up with. There were six. We looked at the three-storey option. We looked at the four-storey option, the five-storey option. We looked at knocking it down and starting again. We looked at working with the existing structure and altering it. Nothing worked until we hit upon seven storeys, which gave them an income to pay for all the expense."

The problem was that Bermuda's planning laws don't allow for seven-storey developments.

"That solution was to use reinforced concrete construction, rather than structural steel, enabling the project to be one floor higher than normal ? by fitting seven storeys into a six-storey space ? since it is a more shallow form of construction," Mr. Feathers explained. "It's new to Bermuda but it's been used in construction around the world for a long time. That was enough to make the project viable. Eventually, the project owners purchased the adjacent land and the building could be built on a scale that would be both useful and financially efficient.

"This is going to be a very high quality building. It's going to be very distinct, because it's got a lot of glass. It might not be to everybody's taste but it will be very high end. It will stand out in its own way in much the same way as the XL building stands out. It's a modern building."

A relatively quick construction process will see completion on August 2, 2005. According to Mr. Feathers, the record time was achieved through an "overlapped design and construction" process enabled through the a new technique developed by BCM McAlpine.

"BCM McAlpine introduced this technique where we can actually go out and find tenders despite the fact we hadn't got the design complete," he said. "And then we've introduced controlled processes through the design/development stage, which is simultaneous with the construction stage to make sure we don't exceed our budget. And it's working very well; an unusual approach."

Named after a former partner of First Bermuda Group Ltd., the Maxwell Roberts Building could be ready for occupancy as soon as construction is complete.