The owners of the HA&E Smith?s building have leased the entire Front Street property to the Phoenix Group.

At press time, details remained sketchy about the Phoenix Group?s plans for the prime retail space, however, the Island?s largest drug store chain has given a few hints of what is to come in a new display in the windows of the Smith?s building.

Books and beach toys are a central focus.

News of another Phoenix Group expansion comes just a month after the group unveiled a new 3,500 square foot electronics shop, P-Tech in the former Stuart?s store on Reid Street. The company simultaneously unveiled a newly renovated dispensary on Reid Street which offers everything from groceries to an expanded household section.

The HA&E Smith?s store, which is held mostly by Smith?s directors and, in small part, by the Bermuda Church Society, has been empty for almost one year since its former tenant Trimingham Brothers went out of business at the end of July 2005. While many potential tenants expressed interest in renting partial space, the owners of the property were adamant that they wanted just one tenant for the entire 33,111 square foot building.

This newspaper understands that the Phoenix Group has signed a 15-year lease, however, long-time president and CEO George Grundm?ller was off the Island yesterday and the company was unable to provide comment on the plans.

Somers Cooper, fellow Front Street retailer and co-chair of the Chamber of Commerce?s Retail Sales Division, greeted the news that Front Street would soon see more retail with enthusiasm.

However, the move does not come fast enough to satisfy the droves of tourists currently wandering Hamilton?s streets. Within the block, there are two other empty store fronts besides the Smith?s property.

Mr. Cooper?s company, A.S. Cooper, is in the midst of building a new mixed use retail and office development in the home of its former department store on Front Street.

?We have three empty store fronts on Front Street so we?re not putting our best face forward at this time, but as we progress looking toward Christmas at least hopefully A.S. Cooper will be ready to go,? said Mr. Cooper.

As for the other empty space, its future remains in limbo. HSBC, which owns the Bank of Bermuda, purchased the Trimingham?s building last year with plans to replace it with a new bank. Many objectors met the plan with outrage and on March 29, the Development Applications Board refused the bank?s application for final Planning approval for a seven-storey mixed use office/commercial building at No?s 39, 41 and 43, Front Street, because it was too big.

The bank has appealed to Minister of the Environment Neletha Butterfield on the grounds that tall buildings and small buildings can exist alongside each other in Hamilton.

Seven objectors remain strongly opposed to the idea of replacing the historic Trimingham?s building with a new ?out of character? building. One objector noted the proposal has 1,278 square feet of speciality retail space out of a gross floor area of 107,256 square feet.

The Minister?s decision is pending.