The new apartment block in Hamilton, Atlantis, has seen deposits placed in over a dozen of its 60 units already, according to its realtors Coldwell Banker J.W. Bermuda Realty.

"They are going well," said Arthur Jones, director of Coldwell Banker and head of sales for the block. "It has been steady and we have had a lot of people show an interest in the apartments."

The block, built by Sir John Swan, was hailed as a new way of city living in Hamilton, and was opened at a grand ceremony in January with each unit with price tags starting at between $600,000 and $800,000.

"The response has been very positive, with all kinds of people interested in the property," said Mr. Jones. "We have had a complete range from people wanting to live in the apartments, rent them out and even downsizing from a larger space to a smaller one."

Coldwell Banker has the exclusive rights to sell the apartments, and have hosted several open houses to show the impressively decorated furnished show-room apartments on the second floor.

All the apartments are one or two-bedroom and vary in size, with special security features, climate control and top of the range fitted kitchens and bathrooms.

Mr. Jones said that the apartments, which are based in Parliament Street, were built with a specific market in mind, for people without children, who wanted city living and not to own a car and maybe travelled a lot.

"There was nothing like this before, and it proves there is a market for it," he added. "We are very encouraged by the response."

Premier Alex Scott officially opened the 60 unit apartment block in Hamilton two weeks ago when businessmen and women, politicians and the well-heeled of Bermuda were invited for their first look of the lush apartments.

Mr. Scott said at the opening that the apartments would be ideal for business executives who wanted to walk to work and find entertainment in the city centre without having to buy a car or bike and go on foot.

Developer Sir John said that the building was the result of four years from getting the funding and had developed a small acre site that had been vacant for between 22 and 23 years.

He said that the development would help ease some of the housing crunch on the Island, freeing up other homes as residents who wanted to move closer to work left houses in other parts of the Island.

And he hinted that there could be more developments of this kind should Atlantis become a success.

The plush complex, which is the first residential development in Hamilton in the last century, includes a heated swimming pool, on-site deli, gymnasium and communal rooftop sun deck.