North Street residents say they have been ignored by the Corporation of Hamilton which is planning a multimillion dollar city development plan that doesn't include them.

Dozens of residents and business owners turned out for the Corporation's meeting on Wednesday night to discuss issues from city parking to a new waterfront development project.

The Corporation discussed their plan to invest $180 million into a development near Front Street, which could include underground parking, a new cruise ship pier and either hotel or private accommodation facilities.

But residents in the 'back of town' area were frustrated the development wouldn't reach their neighbourhoods, which still had unsafe sidewalks and poorly lit streets.

One woman said: "I tried to come here with an open mind and I do like your plan its all futuristic as far as what I am seeing, but I am living in the here and now.

"I don't feel the corporation has me in their plan, or my house or my building in their plan. I still can't get a sidewalk, I still cant get things done in my area. So in that big picture I have a problem with that, because every time I see something that the Corporation of Hamilton does it is all for Front Street and really I am tired."

She said: "I have lived in town all my life, and my father and (his fathers) before them have struggled with the corporation doing something and now it is three generations down and we are still fighting for the same things, the lights on the streets, as soon as the wind blows my lights have gone out."

Ed Benevides, Secretary for the Corporation, said he spoke with that particular lady and plans to take a walk with her through the area so she can address her concerns.

The corporation also said it was doing its best to address problems in the area. In addition to meeting with residents in North Street last April, they plan to host another meeting in the next six weeks.

In the past they have identified four key issues, including safety, sanitation, infrastructure and vagrancy which are of high concern to residents. Mr. Benevides said they were working to address these.

Still other residents at Wednesday night's meeting voiced their frustrations including a man who said North East Hamilton was still not the Corporation's primary concern.

He said: "It has been heard by many people who live in the neighbourhood, who live in this area, who work in this area, and this is not a demeanour or a disrespect, but I think a number of people in the Economic Empowerment Zone (EEZ) area still feel they are somewhat outside your remit, that is The Corporation of Hamilton's."

According to Erica Smith, Director of the EEZ, who spoke at the meeting, unemployment in the area is twice as high as the national average.

Statistics gathered in 2006 showed the medium household income around North Street was $55,000, while the rest of Bermuda had an average income of $85,000. Home ownership in the area was also significantly less than the whole of Bermuda at 23 percent, compared to 51 percent in other areas.

The Ministry of Finance's EEZ was developed to empower businesses, stakeholders and residents in North East Hamilton to reach their full potential.

The EEZ has identified a lack of open space and public transportation in the area and a high concentration of personal care services like hair and nail salons. After gathering this data, they developed a plan to reuse vacant or underused lots, such as the one on Dundonald and Court Street which would be used as a park.

The organisation was also working with government and the Corporation of Hamilton to develop Court Street into a festive place to live and work.

According to Ms. Smith, this area is the "hub of North East Hamilton" and "if we can bring to the table (ideas) to change the dynamics on the block, the rest will follow."

The man said there appeared to be separate plans for these different parts of the city and asserted that more money should be invested into his neighbourhood.

"I think we will all feel like we are part of one city and that is why I keep saying it feels like two plans here, one for that part of town and one for this part of town. So if we can all come together as one nation, one country, one city, I think everyone will feel like we are all on board, we are all going down the same road together," he said.

"I came with an open mind, I like the idea (of the waterfront development), but if you are going to spend 180 million dollars for three blocks, please spend 10 million dollars on 13 (blocks)."

A woman at the meeting said she was trying to re-establish a residents committee so people in the area could work to get their needs met.

She said: "Its time for the residents in this area to come together. We did meet, we had a resident's committee. It has kind of fallen by the way side, but it would be nice to get it together and get the people together so maybe our voices will be heard."