Southside, a Bermuda Land Development Company spokesman announced yesterday.

The project will see the three-storey, 24,000-square-foot Channel House -- the US military's former administrative centre -- developed into offices.

The BLDC has put up the money for the project and commitments have been made from a Government department and a corporate management and brokerage company to lease about 30 percent of the available space.

The Department of Civil Aviation will move its headquarters to the building located in the heart of the Southside Business Enterprise Zone overlooking Castle Harbour.

A spokesman for the department said other locations were looked at with the final decision being made on Channel House's ability to meet future needs and because of the plans for the building. These include the construction of a large, central lobby; the installation of a complex data and communication cable system; complete interior finishes; a dedicated parking lot; the creation of open interior spaces;, new bathrooms; and air conditioning and fire suppression systems.

The renovation work will be carried out by Precision Engineering and Technical Company, Bermuda Air Care, Hi-Tech Electrical Company, J.W. Gray & Company and Salisbury Construction Company Ltd. OBM Architects will design a Bermudian facade for the building's exterior.

BLDC's vice president for commercial development, Mark Orchard, said the investment in the building marked BLDC's commitment to develop Southside into a new place to do business.

Major investment: Channel House (above) to be developed into offices GOVERNMENT GVT BUSINESS BUC