The Somers Building Limited has sought final Planning approval to build a seven-storey office and retail building across the street from the Bank of Bermuda headquarters.

This plan adds nearly 6,000 square feet of office space to a proposed six-storey building on No. 15, Front Street, which was approved by Planning on August 31, 2005.

?This application is different in that slight modifications have been made to the floor plans from the third floor up and there is a new seventh floor,? Duncan Robson of Cooper & Gardner told Planning on March 23.

Planning has asked the Corporation of Hamilton to comment on the Plan regarding the view over the nearby Par-La-Ville Park, however, Mr. Robson said he had already spoken with the Corporation.

?After having conferred with the Corporation of Hamilton with respect to the grade elevations at the Park, we have determined that the grade difference is great enough that we can extend the development through to Front Street and keep to four storeys on the park side.

?We submit that with the stepping of the seventh storey and the four storey maximum height on the park, that the development will not have an adverse impact and constitutes appropriate intensification.?

But Mr. Robson added the architects would continue to meet with the Corporation of Hamilton in order to reach the ?necessary agreements? for the project.

The ground/first floor is planned to be retail space, the second and third floors combined office and retail space and the remaining floor floors offices only.

The existing gross floor area of the already approved Somers Building was 44,061 square feet, it said, but a proposed 5,994 square feet would be added by the extra storey.