Plans to add four storeys of residential units to a Front Street building have been given the green light after a previous proposal was turned down.

According to planning documents, the project would create 11 new residences at the Frith Building at 57 Front Street, while converting the second and third floor from warehouse storage to offices.

While similar plans for the site were rejected by the Development Applications Board, a planning officer said in a DAB report that changes had been made to address the concerns raised about the previous proposal.

“The conversion of most of the second and third floors from warehouse storage to office, as well as the addition of residential on the top four floors, will contribute to the interest and vitality of the city,” the report said.

“The additional uses are permitted within this location and will create no detriment to the surrounding area.

“The proposal has been designed to a high quality and is compatible with the historic significant of the surrounding area. Further, the development will not result in vehicle congestion, parking or road safety problems.”

The plans, submitted last year, propose retaining the Frith Building while constructing an additional four floors to create a building which is seven storeys on the Front Street side and five storeys on the Reid Street side.

Retail spaces on the Front Street level would be increased in size, while the second floor would contain a combination of office and retail space.

Warehouse storage on the third floor would be converted into office space, while the Reid Street entrance would be modified with outdoor seating and two tables for alfresco dining.

The four additional floors would house a combination of two studio apartments, six single-bedroom units and three three-bedroom units.

The DAB report said the similar application in 2021 was refused for several reasons, including the lack of a traffic assessment, a lack of private outdoor and communal spaces, and insufficient evidence that the project would not detract from the “Cathedral’s visual dominance” of the Hamilton skyline.

“One change is that this application has removed the proposal to accommodate a residential car park on the ground floor,” the officer said.

“Therefore, there should be no increase in vehicle traffic entering and exiting the building off Front Street, and as such, no need to carry out a traffic impact assessment.

“Another change is that the plans have been redesigned to allow for all 11 dwellings to have private outdoor amenity space, which meet the size requirements. Also, the revised plans have included a communal rooftop garden, which has been designed to comply with policies.

“Additionally, the plans for this present submission have included the relevant information to demonstrate that the proposed four-storey addition will not exceed the height of the ridgeline of the Cathedral.”

According to the minutes of the DAB’s July 9 meeting, the proposal was approved, although one member of the board stated that it was a “shame” to lose the six parking spaces inside the building and questioned the effectiveness of rooftop gardens.