For weeks, crews have been cleaning out 62 and 64 King St. E., but amid the dust and debris, Patrick Bermingham's vision for these two stoic buildings facing Gore Park is clearer than ever.

"When anybody comes to Hamilton, you want to provide a place where they can eat, sleep, work and meet. So why not a boutique hotel?"

So the former CEO of Bermingham Foundation Solutions, who bought the properties with a partner in February, has released plans for the Beverley Hamilton Hotel.

Designed by Thier + Curran Architects Inc. (TCA), the 20-room hotel would have a ground-floor restaurant, a rooftop patio and deck, one floor designed for events and "a space in the basement for spin classes," Bermingham, an avid cyclist, says. Some of the hotel rooms could also be used for extended stays.

After the initial purchase of the long-vacant 62 King St. E., Bermingham and partner Malcolm Silver, a Toronto commercial real estate investor, closed a deal for the building next door at 64 King St. E.

By having both buildings Bermingham says a redesign of the space will allow more light and better access through the narrow spaces.

With an investment of about $6 million, Bermingham aims to be part of a downtown on the upswing.

"I'm not a big risk-taker, but we're buying two buildings right in the downtown core, and after seeing the Redchurch Cafe and Gallery (also on King Street), I thought there's no reason why this area won't transform and become the hub of the city."

As a fan of "modern hotel culture" Bermingham was encouraged when he heard the owners of the Beverley Hotel in Toronto were looking to expand to Hamilton.

"I'm a tree-planter, I have limited skills and they don't include hotel management."

Nathan Leitner of Level Hospitality, owners of the Beverley Toronto, says the project is a perfect fit. "We're excited to get this project off the ground."

So Bermingham says he is acting as a guide and putting people together. They are in discussion with the owners of the Beverley Hotel to come in as a tenant and with restaurant group the Other Bird, owners of Rapscallion, Two Black Sheep and others, to run food, beverage and events.

In designing the adaptive reuse of the century-old buildings, TCA Architects intends to preserve the integrity of the modest facades while adding vertical additions needed for space, drama and light.

"The addition of glass makes a statement, and at a height that reveals great views of the city, sunsets, the harbour and a window onto Gore Park, our town square," says architect Bill Curran, principal at TCA.

One can sense that Bermingham is raring to go, but such a project in such a prominent place will take time for city approvals. Curran projects that the first step of going through the city's site-plan approval process could take at least a year, perhaps closer to two.

"It's a slow, frustrating process for clients and contrary to the city's 'open for business' posture," Curran says. "This is one of the most exciting things to happen on the Gore with real catalytic potential, at a time when other buildings are languishing."

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With his former company. Bermingham says he made a decision to stay and grow the business on Hamilton's waterfront even when a move to a bigger location in another city seemed appealing. The same invest-in-Hamilton ethos guides his drive to build a hotel downtown.

"It's now or never. The city needs new people coming here, staying over night, and talking about their experience. With new people and younger people coming here, their transformative power can turn Hamilton into a magnet city."