A church wants to build a seven-storey office building next to its place of worship.

St. Paul AME Church has submitted a Planning application for an office block at 59 Court Street, Hamilton.

Over the past few months several office and apartment complexes have been proposed for Court Street, in what has been seen as a renaissance for the area.

In June, chairman of the Sustainable Development Roundtable Arthur Hodgson was granted permission to build a six-storey office block, while Planning officials are also currently considering a five-storey office/apartment block at the corner of Angle Street.

Court Street offers many advantages for new businesses moving into the area. Under the Economic Empowerment Zone Act for North East Hamilton, new companies can enjoy incentives such as payroll tax breaks, preferential borrowing rates from financial institutions plus other development 'carrots', all aimed at encouraging more commerce in this previously neglected area of the city.

The Small Business Development Corporation, whose Government grant has doubled to $3 million, will also provide small grants to existing and new business owners in the zone, to assist with business strategies, financial statements, marketing and architectural plans. St. Paul AME Church has stated in its Planning application that the office building will be used for church administration. The Royal Gazette was unable to ascertain whether any surplus office space will be used for commercial purposes. A spokeswoman for the church said: "The Pastor is off the Island and will not be back until next week."

The seven-storey block would cover 16,912 sq ft, at the corner of Victoria Street and Court Street. It has been designed by architects Entasis Architecture.