A PROPOSED venture involving community members, the Corporation of Hamilton and the Planning Department could help revitalise the northeastern part of the City.

Policies set in place under the City of Hamilton Plan 2001 - approved by the legislature earlier this year - make it possible for the area, notorious for its drug trafficking and criminal activity, to be transformed into a successful business and residential centre.

Encompassing Victoria to North Streets, King Street to Cedar Avenue and the suburban outskirts of Parsons Road and Middle Town, North Hamilton was once a hub of activity, known for its great cuisine, entertainment, assortment of goods and services and home to many of the island's history makers.

Many believe desegregation led to its decline in the 1960s and '70s, as blacks were no longer limited to certain areas.

Today, however, even long-term proponents of change to the area commonly referred to as "The Back of Town", agree that a transformation is, at best, some way off in the future.

Businessman Khalid Wasi has been vocal in his argument for development for more than 20 years. With a sound plan in place and assured funding, he believes the benefits to northeast Hamilton and their impact on Bermuda as a whole could be numerous.

"Most people don't want to spend $15 million on a piece of property if they know there's going to be (junk) next door. (Investors) will not place capital in the hands of people that don't know how to handle it.

"There has to be development on a major scale. There needs to be a co-ordinated approach - with a task force and an investment development group to raise capital - that will see it from beginning through to the end. The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) doesn't know what to do; the United Bermuda Party (UBP) didn't have the will to do it. The wherewithal was there, but there was no will. And the PLP, I think they just don't understand what needs to be done.

"It is important that we assist and facilitate development in Hamilton, particularly in the north section where many of the people are not of means. They are struggling, but own property that would be valuable if definite changes were made.

"The only people who can develop that area to its fullest are people with investment know-how; people of means. Otherwise, Mr. Jones and Mrs. Smith will never see the full economic potential of the property they own.

"It doesn't need to be a partisan thing. I was very much a part of groups in the '70s and the '80s trying to get Government's attention to do things, yet since the PLP have come into power, some people have taken great pains to avoid getting me involved and therein lies the problem. They need everybody and anybody on board."

As part of an objective to encourage residential development, and with the majority of the City population residents of North Hamilton, the City of Hamilton Plan established policies which hope to "achieve the economic and social regeneration and environmental improvement of (the area)".

As written in the Plan: "While North-East Hamilton has a strong sense of community and is culturally and architecturally distinct, it has a negative public impact and is in need of economic regeneration. The Corporation of Hamilton and the Department of Planning propose to continue working with the local community to formulate an Action Plan that can lead to tangible improvements in the quality of life for the people living in the area."

Among Mr. Wasi's proposals, many of which he has disclosed in the past, is that Government establish economic development zones which would redress economic inequality. In this case, such a designation would offer blacks the opportunity to become managers and owners of their own businesses.

"One of the issues bandied about is the issue of empowerment," said Mr. Wasi. "The question is, 'How?' We need to create a kind of zoning which would permit a level of affirmative action. I don't mean to exclude certain people but it's a fair assumption that people who are kin to the area, would benefit from its development.

"For example, if part of the rationale is that (we) are looking to improve the economies of the black men in (that) community, (we) should ensure that the architects, the planners, the developers and the builders are indeed black people.

"We can target certain zones and attach that formula to help develop the skills of (those involved)," he said. "But those criteria would only apply to areas designated as economic development zones. It would specifically target people in need of help. There are a number of issues which can be examined to facilitate development and also help on the social side for people trying to get into (various) businesses.

"I don't want to give the impression of favouritism. It's an exercise that would be conducted out in the open. We would need to put it out that we're trying to target a group of people in order to uplift them and in order to do that we have to give them preference."

One of his ideas, that present buildings be transformed to meet the demands of housing, has already been looked at through a Government policy, Adaptive Re-use of Existing Buildings in North-East Hamilton.

Said the Department's Erica Smith: "The area contains many underutilised buildings that have the potential to be converted into or further divided for residential use . . . Given the special character of this area and the desire to encourage a general improvement in the living environment . . . it is considered appropriate to provide some discretion in the application of Residential Development Standards in this part of the City."

One of the founders of the Back of Town Development Association, Skipper Ingham, argued that while it was great that policies were in place, nothing would change without an effective policing of the neighbourhood.

"Court Street could be cleaned up tomorrow if they wanted to. The businessmen in the back of town are taxpayers too. They receive no security and there's no police presence. All they do is drive through. They have to be there 24 hours a day just like they are on Front Street.

"Court Street can, and should be, developed into a great place for Bermuda. It's where the island's culture is. It's where the architecture is. It's all out there on Court Street.

"I know (change is) not going to happen. The present Government isn't doing anything about it. They're not helping the small, black businessmen who supported them. I am going to vote for the PLP in the next election because I want to see black people stay in power.

"I will give them another chance, but they need to do something. The police drive through and see people dealing drugs every day. They need to pick up the suppliers and the users and keep them in custody for 72 hours - the legal limit. When they're released, watch them. If they go back to dealing or using, bust them again. Sooner or later they will get the message."

According to Corporation Secretary Roger Sherratt and Ms Smith, however, it's not so simple an issue.

"All that we have tried to do, because we cannot control what private interests would do, is to try to build some policies into the plan to ensure that there is the opportunity for a broad range of mixed uses while retaining the character of North East Hamilton," Ms Smith explained. "We have some specific policies geared towards that, but it's really all we can do."

The greater challenge, the safety and security of residents and their premises, is one of the issues being addressed by the Corporation of Hamilton in meetings with members of the community.

"The biggest message we got from residents and businesses in northeast Hamilton," said Mr. Sherratt, "the number one issue, was safety and security. If we didn't address that it would be very difficult to improve the area.

"The Corporation has made a lot of representation to the police for more police in Hamilton in general. (But, they're needed in other areas); they have to perform other duties and they seem to all (be taken) from Hamilton. The more duties put on police, the less likely it is that they will be walking the streets.

"There's a perception that they don't patrol North Hamilton but that they do patrol Front Street. If you talk to anyone frequently on Front Street, they don't see them there either."

The lack of officers on patrol had been a Corporation concern for a number of years, he added. It was one of the reasons why it had been proposed that the CCTV system, now used in certain parts of Hamilton, be used to monitor Court Street activity.

The idea, first dismissed by North Hamilton merchants, has since been accepted but in the interim, Quantuum - the supplier of the CCTV system - had folded and the Corporation was left to wait until the sale of the company was completed before additional monitors could be purchased.

"The area of North Hamilton is one we're particularly concerned about," he added. "We've met with a group headed by architect Henry Ming and come up with some ideas, some we've actually put into effect.

"The meetings are ongoing but we're just at the very start. We're in the very early stages. There's a lot we want to do, but the key is to do it with the active co-operation of residences and businesses in North Hamilton."