Streets, has been given a complete facelift. The three-story office rental building has been converted from a dull grey office site into a more colourful and traditional Bermuda-style building. Pale blue with bright blue shutters and white trim, Melbourne House is now categorised as a B class building, which is a major improvement from its former status as a E class building, according to spokesperson Mr. Dennis Chin, who noted that Melbourne House will continue to be used by professionals and retailers for rental purposes. Prior to the renovations, the building was starting to lose tenants and it was becoming difficult to rent space, said Mr. Chin. "We didn't have any modern amenities. And the building looked very old and unattractive.'' He said there were no windows on the east side of the building, the elevator and entrance hall looked extremely drab and the entire building was gloomy. "Gradually the tenants stopped renewing their contracts,'' said Mr. Chin. "And we were no longer getting the rentals that we needed.'' He added that the cost of maintaining the building was becoming more and more expensive. And every time a new building was constructed in the area, Melbourne House dropped behind in calibre. "We carried out feasibility studies to determine the type of rent that could be obtained. And we reached a decision to bite the bullet and renovate the exterior of the building,'' said Mr. Chin. Architect Mr. Stuart Pearson of Cooper & Gardner did the design work for the outside of the building. And according to Mr. Chin, he did such a great job that the owners of Melbourne House decided to upgrade the interior in order to complement the new exterior. Inside, the renovations started with new ceilings throughout the building as well as new ceiling lights, said Mr. Chin. The elevator lobbies were extended and the elevators were renovated to include new doors and panels for a modern look. Said Mr. Chin: "The elevator lobbies were very rectangular looking before. "But they were extended and bay windows were installed opposite the elevator doors. New directories have also been placed on the elevator entrance walls -- a complete facelift,'' he said. As well, office doors have been outfitted with uniform brass plates engraved with their company names for easy identification. The tiles in the corridors, which were six different styles in eight different shades of brown, were taken out and replaced with carpet, said Mr. Chin. "And one of the requests by tenants was to have more natural light in the building,'' he noted, "so more windows were added to the east side. And big bay windows were added to the lobbies.'' The greatest physical change in the building's interior can be found in the bathrooms, which have been converted from small drab rooms into larger, more modern bathrooms, said Mr. Chin. "We now have only three bathrooms on each floor as opposed to four, but they are larger and more comfortable,'' he noted. Another big change can be seen in the street-level entrance, where the old wooden doors have been removed and replaced by glass. "The entrance is more inviting and open-looking and a ramp has been installed for use by the physically challenged,'' he said. The building's plumbing facilities and fire codes have also been completely upgraded. "We are up-to-date on all the present fire code requirements,'' said Mr. Chin. The price of renovating Melbourne House was not disclosed. But according to Mr. Chin, the refurbishment cost the owners more than the original building cost to build, which was in excess of one million dollars. "The bottom line is that we had to renovate and go first class if we wanted to get the rentals.'' He added: "One of the deciding factors for me was when Lehman Brothers had organised to rent out one of our offices. But when the executives came down to Bermuda and saw the building, they changed their minds because they wanted something of a better class. "All of our offices are now permanent -- not just temporarily divided -- and they range in size from 650 square feet to 2,020 square feet.

They are all attractive looking with a view,'' he said, adding that the tenants are pleased with the building. "In fact, they are pleasantly surprised,'' said Mr. Chin. "I don't think they expected to see such dramatic changes. "The tenants have also been very patient while the construction has been going on.'' PHOTO MODERNISED INTERIOR -- The elevator lobbies have been extended and elevators have been renovated to include new doors and panels. As well, the ceilings have been totally redone and the tiles in the corridors have been ripped up and replaced by new carpet.

MR. DENNIS CHIN -- Spokesperson for the newly renovated Melbourne House, which is on the corner of Victoria and Parliament Streets.