St. Paul AME Church has sought final planning to build a three-storey administration building on Court Street.

Proposed works include renovating the church?s interior and extending the sanctuary into the new administration building.

Church trustee and former MP Stanley Morton said the church needed more space and modern features like air conditioning.

?It is an old church,? Mr. Morton said. ?It is over 100 years old. It is the mother church of all AME churches here and any events that take place, the international ones, usually head there.?

Mr. Morton said in the last century only minor renovations had been made to St. Paul AME, with the last minor works being carried out some 15 to 20 years ago.

If the Planning application proves successful, the new administration building will have a provision for a fourth floor, a two storey corridor to the south side of the sanctuary will be added, the existing office building behind the church will be demolished and a new parking area would be added.

The existing ceiling of the sanctuary is to be replaced, the Entasis Architecture plans at Planning said, however, a renovated Centennial Building will remain.

The gross floor area of St. Paul?s church would be increased by 1,047 square feet, the plans said, and the new administration building would measure 10,825 square feet.

?All sloped roofs to have traditional slate roof appearance either Bermuda profile or flat,? it said. ?All exposed surfaces to receive a plaster finish to match the existing church and adjacent church buildings to be painted.?

On May 11, Planning sought input from the Corporation of Hamilton about the application.