Former Premier Sir John Swan has unveiled plans to build what is thought to be the first major residential complex in the centre of Hamilton for years. And last night Sir John told The Royal Gazette he believed the proposal for 76 one-bedroom apartments will breathe new life into the capital, which becomes dead at night when office workers retreat to their homes outside the city. He said the plan could be the first step towards regenerating the city as a place to live. Sir John, a former United Bermuda Party leader, said he believed the planned development of vacant land on Parliament, Victoria and Dundonald streets could spark other city centre residential developments. His architect, Sjur Linberg of Barker and Linberg, said this would reverse a long trend of city housing being converted into offices. The proposal would also be environmentally-friendly, because traffic could be reduced if workers did not have to commute to Hamilton. And it would ease the pressure to build on Bermuda's limited land space. The application for permission in principle for 76 one-bedroom apartments in a four-storey to six-storey development with a swimming pool, gym and coffee shop, was submitted by Ocean Winds Ltd., to the Department of Planning on November 24. Sir John said he was an "associate'' of the company, which has a registered address at Victoria Street, Hamilton.

He said: "We have to recognise that we can't continue to suburbanise Bermuda when there is the opportunity to develop in the city other than commercial developments. "It would reduce traffic back and forth from the city and be able to facilitate people who don't necessarily want always to live in the suburbs and who want to live in the city, particularly people who don't have young children. "The time has come now for us to address this subject and to attempt to address it as to what might be able to be done. It is up to the Hamilton complex "If we are to going to meet the requirements of the 21st Century to satisfactorily house our people and to house the importation of people, this is the type of development that will afford this.'' Sir John refused to disclose how much the apartments would sell for or who else was involved in the project.

He said he envisaged the apartments being attractive to Bermudians and non-Bermudians, "particularly those without young children who, like in most cities, are able to nest in a building among a large group of people''.

"There is no limit to who might do it,'' he added. "A lot of Bermudians have good jobs but have no children and might love the opportunity to enjoy city life and the social activities within the city.

"It has the potential to start other developments in the city that will help ease the pressure on suburban areas, particularly for people who want to raise their children in a suburban area but can't find a place to rent.

"It might ease up the rent demands for these other areas. It will bring the city alive and ease the density in suburban areas.

"The most important thing is the fact that most of the work done in Bermuda is done in Hamilton and this means people can be close to their place of employment.'' Mr. Linberg said if planning permission was granted, work could begin next autumn and be completed in 2001.

He said yesterday: "It would be a very significant and exciting development.

Residential living within the City of Hamilton has been something that has been going backward over the last 25 years as more people have been living outside the city.

"This is a major development reversing this trend and will demonstrate that city living can be exciting and a good thing to do.'' Sir John: City housing