Plans including renovations to maintain the “visual appeal” and “character” of an historical sub-post office have been submitted to the Department of Planning.

The planning application by the City of Hamilton for the Perot Post Office on Queen Street proposed works to remove “structurally unsound elements” from the site.

The plans are part of revitalisation efforts by the City for the property, which it intends to repurpose for a “dynamic use” when works are completed.

Documents submitted to the planning department included plans for new floors, windows, doors and shutters.

They include upgrades to the facility’s interior bathroom, storage space, plumbing and electrical and mechanical services as well as a new dedicated Belco line to supply power to the building.

Other intended works include the conversion of a ground-floor toilet room to a cleaner's room.

The plans follow decisions made by the Historical Buildings Advisory Committee in April, which called for the colour of the building to be retained “as this is also an important part of its character”.

In the minutes of the April 9 meeting, seen by The Royal Gazette, the committee said “every effort should be made to restore the existing windows as they are integral to the character and appearance of the property”.

It said the door and fanlight of the property should also be restored.

The panel said if restoration was not achievable, the windows should be replaced on a “like-for-like basis” in terms of materials.

The committee discussed the visual appeal of the existing as well as its traditional timber windows. The overall consensus was that every effort should be made to retain them.

The documents submitted by the City to the planning department include a detailed historical assessment of the property.

In August 2025, the City said when the necessary upgrades are completed, it will follow mandated processes and established protocols — including the standard tendering process — to identify a dynamic use for the space that complements the surrounding area and delivers value to the City.

“Our priority is to see the building returned to active, productive use as soon as possible after the works are finished,” it said.

The Perot Post Office was named after William Bennet Perot, the creator of Bermuda’s first postage stamp, who served as Hamilton’s postmaster between 1818 and 1862.

Built sometime between 1835 and 1847, it was originally an annex on his property before becoming the post office sometime before 1848.

The post office was closed in 1869 and used as a shop before being renovated and reopened in 1959 as a sub-post office.

It was announced in October 2018 that the building would close for renovations as the Philatelic Bureau was moved there from the General Post Office on Church Street.

A government spokeswoman said then that the shift was a “natural transition” as the building was regarded as one of the island’s “most iconic historical visitor attractions”.

The sub-post office reopened in January 2019 before its repurposing as a coronavirus testing facility the following year.

After the announcement in August 2020 that the building would be used to perform Covid-19 tests, the Bermuda Post Office said that it was “very pleased” to collaborate with the health ministry.

However, it added that the Perot Post Office had historical significance, and in that regard the BPO had fielded a number of queries from the public regarding the postal facility’s products and services.