Plans to give the Court Street area a face-lift may come at too high a price for some North Hamilton merchants.

A number of shop owners fear rents will skyrocket once the Corporation of Hamilton (COH) completes plans to revitalise North Hamilton.

Planners and COH officials have stressed improving safety and security to encourage investment by property owners and business operators.

The City of Hamilton plan currently being drawn up may include the addition of a Police station and Magistrates' Court in the area.

But several merchants said a full-scale spruce-up was the least of their concerns and suggested that the Corporation and local landlords needed to concentrate on the basics.

One woman, who did not wish to be identified, said her store's rent went up by 15 percent last week, and she feared it might signal the beginning of a trend.

She said if rents were going to increase, landlords should at least put a coat of paint on the building to improve its appearance. "I don't mind them rebuilding the place as long as rent doesn't go sky high, but they'd have to do something really drastic to get people to shop here instead of Front Street. They need to clean up the area, the merchants want more Police surveillance and parking space before they do anything else.'' Another shop owner complained that there had been very little effort by the COH or Police to clean drugs out of the area.

"They don't come and upkeep the streets, and there are no pedestrian crossings on Court Street,'' said the woman. "You have to cross at your own risk, and we have to stop traffic so old people can get across the streets.

And if they really wanted to stop the drugs, they'd have Police patrolling like they've promised. They promised it would be a daily thing, but Police only come once in a blue moon,'' she said.

Other merchants were sceptical about whom the revitalisation would benefit and said plans to put a Police station in the area were "just a front''.

Merchants fear higher rents "They've got a plan for Court Street, and it has nothing to do with getting rid of drug dealers -- because they'll all just go around the corner,'' said one merchant.

"Hamilton's too small and they're coming back,'' a man chimed in.

"All the black-owned shops are going to Court Street and they don't like the fact that there's a community here, so they're going to jack up the rents and cause them to move out.

"This is the only place where the shops are open until late at night and (Front Street area shops) don't want the competition.'' COH secretary Roger Sherratt said there were several meetings with North Hamilton residents and merchants to give them a voice in the planning and they seemed "very keen'' to see the area upgraded.

He noted that the Corporation had no control over rents in the area and said area rents would "no doubt increase'' with area improvements.