Wednesday 05.06.13. 1 000+ days post 4 September 2010 Quake, I trekked Victoria St to Victoria Sq to see transformation from a Victorian planned street to a ruined & partly transformed street & square. Victoria St between Bealey Ave crossing & Salisbury St crossing buzzed: I saw some shops were open, some were ruined. I saw several construction- sites & repair-sites & demolition-sites. Some demolition-sites were converted to carparks, some, for sale or lease. The closer I approached re-opened Christchurch Casino, I saw more Victoria St ruins.
I saw more construction-sites (4) along Victoria St from Bealey Ave crossing to Peterborough St crossing than the whole of CERA occupied, cordoned red-zone-CBD (3). CERA's ramping up rebuild?
Why Victoria St still boomed: It existed amongst aparments & houses. But the red-zone-CBD's cordoned apartments & houses were either flattened by quakes or demolished by CERA, like Poplar St apartments. There was no sign from CERA they would be rebuilt. Regarding CBD housing rebuild: CCDU planned an international competition for high density housing off Madras St by Latimer Sq.
So far, CCDU hadn't figured out that housing amongst businesses was needed for its rebuild CBD to thrive. Not just hotels for tourists in its cordoned red-zone-CBD, where there were expensive anchor projects, like Convention Centre / Te Pae, Performing Arts Precinct, new Central Library / Turanga, Maori Cultural Centre, Justice & Emergency Services Precinct.
Monday 10.06.13. The Press reported CERA would develop housing on its acquired Frame land. Why hadn't architects designed that a year before while planning the CCDU Blueprint in 100 days?
One News 10.06.13: CERA minister Brownlee announced 20 government agencies would move back to the CBD in 2015 with 2 500 staff. In June 2015, there would be no 20 government agencies in the CBD! Blueprint Anchor Projects had stalled, like the Justice & Emergency Services Precinct. Only in 2017 would Grand Central offices open for public servants on the old Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition-site, Cashel St. In future, Brownlee's rebuild would stagger along, step by slow step.
Townsend, Christchurch Employers' Chamber of Commerce boss echoed: "The property developers and property owners and the people that want to come back into central city know now that the government has made this commitment and they will follow up accordingly."
Victoria St / Bealey Ave / Papanui Rd crossing: I saw that Burger King was built on Carlton Hotel demolition-site: thick concrete walls, massive steel skeleton. On the 0pposite side of Papanui Rd, I saw Carlton Courts survivor. One News crew had camped nearby post 22 February 2010 Quake.
03.06.13. Burger King rebuild, Carlton Hotel demolition site, Bealey Ave / Papanui Rd
03.06.13. Abandoned Carlton Courts, Bealey Ave / Papanui Rd
Victoria St / Bealey Ave: Knox Church ruin stood part-demolished & SMF-cordoned for over a year before it was strengthened with boarding below wooden-arches & night-lights. (By the end of 2014 Knox Church would be restored with copper-clad exterior walls). Knox Plaza, construction-site was busy next door. Across the road, a makeshift pub, Smash Palace traded on Saggio di vino's demolition-site.
03.06.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake trashed, boarded Knox Church, awaited restoration, Bealey Ave / Victoria St
03.06.13. Knox Plaza construction site, next to Knox Church, Victoria St
Victoria St to Montreal St crossing: I saw survivor businesses & ghosts & demolition-sites, which included the tilt-slab Carlton Butchery rebuild on a demolition-site & survivor, but part-demolished Caxton Press next to another construction-site. 2014. Caxton Press would relocate to new premises at Wigram.
03.06.13. Carlton Butchery, Victoria St rebuild
03.06.13. Abandoned Art Deco bldg, Victoria St. It would survive the quakes
03.06.13. Spags open for business, Victoria St
03.06.13. Bldg repair, Victoria St
03.06.13. Open business, Victoria St
03.06.13. Quake trashed, boarded bldg, Victoria St
03.06.13. Victoria St / Salisbury St / Montreal St crossing view, quake closed CBD. Victoria St construction site right
03.06.13. Rebuild construction site next to Caxton Press, Victoria St
03.06.13. Quake demolition site sold, Victoria St / Salisbury St
03.06.13. Gordon Smith & sons Fruiterers trading for more than a year post 22.02.11 quake, Victoria St / Montreal St
Victoria St / Montreal St / Salisbury St crossing: Gordon Smith & Sons Fruiterers was open for many months near ruins & demolition-sites converted to carparks. Victoria Jubilee Clock Tower was being restored. When Prince Charles & Camilla visited last year they had a photo-shoot there with mayor Parker.
03.06.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Victoria Jubilee Clock Tower being restored, Victoria St / Montreal St. Abandoned Victoria Mansions behind
03.06.13. For Lease demolition site, Victoria St / Salisbury St / Montreal St crossing
03.06.13. Open businesses, Victoria St
On the Clock Tower's SMF-cordon, a Council sign:
Facilities Rebuild
Doing what needs to be done.
This Christchurch City Council facility is closed due to the earthquakes and is currently being repaired.
The council is striving to access and carry out work on its 1 600 buildings as quickly as possible as part of its Facilities Rebuild Plan programme...
Victoria St to Peterborough St crossing: I saw abandoned Victoria Mansions & busy shops & demolition-sites. On a busy construction-site, I saw a workman in a crane-box being lowered to a first-floor window.
03.06.13. Rebuild construction site, Victoria St
Victoria St to Kilmore St crossing: I saw Christchurch Casino, open after 11:00 & demolition-sites & ruins & survivor businesses.
03.06.13. Christchurch Casino open for more than a year post 22.02.11 quake, Victoria St
03.06.13. Closed business, Victoria St / Peterborough St
03.06.13. Closed businesses, Victoria St
Victoria St / Kilmore St crossing: I saw demolition-sites including Riverlands House, gone, fenced with a Victoria St advert. I saw Copthorne Hotel, gone. I saw Crowne Plaza Hotel, gone. The makeshift Pallet Pavilion would trade on-site for months. Riverlands House would be rebuilt.
03.06.13. Ad board, Riverlands House, demolition site, Victoria St / Kilmore St
03.06.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Kilmore St, demolition sites, off Victoria St
03.06.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Copthorne Hotel demolition site, Victoria St / Kilmore St / Durham St Nth crossing. Court House left awaited new build, Justice & Emergency Services precinct between Lichfield St & Tuam St. Spicers right awaited demolition for a new lawyers' office
03.06.13. The Arcades, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth. Abandoned Town Hall left awaited restoration. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel right awaited restoration
03.06.13. The Arcades & Pallet Pavilion, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth. Abandoned Town Hall left awaited restoration. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel middle awaited restoration. Victoria Square apartments right awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae
03.06.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. The Arcades, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth. Part opened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left. Abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel middle awaited restoration
Near abandoned Town Hall, I saw the recently constructed relocatable Arcades' wooden arches going towards Victoria Sq, a bit of art shown in over 1 000 quake-days amongst demolitions. With Crowne Plaza Hotel gone, the Arcades had a vista to Victoria Sq. Beyond Victoria Sq, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel awaited restoration.
03.06.13. The Arcades, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth & abandoned Town Hall awaiting restoration
03.06.13. The Arcades & Pallet Pavilion, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth. Abandoned Town Hall left, Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel & Victoria Square middle. Open Court House right
03.06.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. The Arcades, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth
03.06.13. The Arcades view, abandoned Town Hall left awaited repairs, Copthorne Hotel middle awaited demolition, Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel right awaited repairs, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth
The Arcades area was still messy: foundation holes were SMF-cordoned while the arches were being constructed. I saw a digger parked between The Arcades & the Pallet Pavilion. The Arcades board:
The Arcades Project
A new way to add movable infrastructure to empty sites for community events.
Ten modular units 6.3 metres high, each forming an open vault, the arcades will become a grand setting for events.
Reconfigurable & relocatable, these structures have the potential to enliven vacant sites around Christchurch for the next 25 years...
03.06.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. The Arcades, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth
CERA & Nai Tahu tribe wanted to turn Crowne Plaza demolition-site into a Maori Cultural Centre to welcome tourists. But quakes destroyed many Anglican churches, including Christ Church Cathedral, beyond Victoria Sq, aided by post-quakes Civil Defence & CERA demolishers. That Maori Cultural Centre idea fizzled.
03.06.13. Refreshments, Pallet Pavilion, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth
03.06.13. Kilmore St view, digger, Salvation Army demolition site, open Court House behind, Durham St Nth
03.06.13. Kilmore St view, digger, Salvation Army demolition site, abandoned Spicers behind awaited demolition, Durham St Nth
Kilmore St: The old Convention Centre's demolition-site awaited hotel & office & shop rebuilds a decade hence. Across the road the SMF- cordoned Town Hall awaited repairs.
Victoria Sq : Near the abandoned Town Hall, I saw two workmen wearing hard-hats & orange Hi-Vis vests arranging cordon-fencing by the floral-clock.
03.06.13. Kids' art on steel mesh fence cordon entrance to Victoria Sq, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth
03.06.13. Orange digger, steel mesh fence cordoned, abandoned, Town Hall awaited repairs, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth
03.06.13. Orange, Hi-Vis vested workmen arranging a steel mesh fence cordoned entrance to Victoria Sq, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth
03.06.13. Orange, Hi-Vis vested workmen arranging a steel mesh fence cordon, floral clock, Victoria Sq
03.06.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Victoria Sq, orange, Hi-Vis vested workmen's view, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site. Pallet Pavilion left, The Arcades middle, Christchurch Casino right
Around Victoria Sq: SMF-cordoned Court House was the only live building amongst ruins & abandoned buildings: SMF-cordoned Town Hall awaited repairs; Copthorne Hotel awaited demolition; Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel awaited repairs; National Bank / Isaac House awaited repairs; Victoria Square apartments & Craigs House awaited demolitions for CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae; demolition-sites like Winnie Bagoes & PWC extended along red-zone Armagh St to a digger-busy demolition-site by Retour Restaurant demolition-site. Craigs House was gutted before demolition. Several of its blue window-panes were gone revealing empty offices & bare walls & ceilings.
03.06.13. Victoria Bridge view, Avon River & Armagh St Bridge, Victoria Sq, Victoria Bridge would be repaired, 2016
03.06.13. Victoria Sq view, red zone, abandoned bldgs: Copthorne Hotel left awaited demolition for the new RC Cathedral precinct. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel middle awaited repairs. The National Bank / Isaac House right awaited new neighbour, Convention Centre / Te Pae
03.06.13. Capt James Cook statue view, Victoria Sq. Abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel awaited repairs. The National Bank / Isaac House right awaited new neighbour, Convention Centre / Te Pae
03.06.13. Avon River. Dandelion Fountain, abandoned Town Hall awaited repairs, Victoria Sq
03.06.13. Capt James Cook statue view, abandoned Victoria Square flats & Craigs House awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae
In the middle of Victoria Sq, Capt James Cook's white, marble statue still stood, undamaged after 13 000 quakes. Some CBD statues fell from their plinths in the 22 February 2011 Quake, like the Antarctic explorer, Robert Falcon Scott's statue, Oxford Tce & 1850 founder of Christchurch, John Robert Godley's bronze statue, Cathedral Sq.
03.05.13. 13 000 quakes survivor, Capt James Cook statue, Victoria Sq
03.06.13. Abandoned Copthorne Hotel awaited demolition, Victoria Sq, for the new RC Cathedral precinct
03.06.13. Victoria Sq view, Colombo St / Armagh St demolition sites, incl Winnie Bagoes, abandoned bldgs. The new RC Cathedral precinct would be built on site a decade hence
03.06.13. Four orange diggers, PWC demo site. Victoria Sq view, demolition sites between Cambridge Tce left & Armagh. Dec 2019. A new RC bishop would propose a new RC cathedral, school & carpark on the demo sites, to replace the ruined RC cathedral, Barbadoes St
03.06.13. Victoria Sq view, abandoned Victoria Square flats middle, Craigs House right awaited demolition for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae
Colombo St / Armagh St: Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel blocked the way from Victoria Sq to the Christ Church Cathedral ruin near Colombo St / Gloucester St crossing. So far, Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel was abandoned for over two years post 22 February 2011 Quake, after trapped survivors abseiled from windows due to collapsed stairs. Forsyth Barr highrise would be refurbished as Crowne Plaza Hotel.
03.06.13. Victoria Sq, Queen Victoria, Boer War statue view, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. The National Bank / Isaac House right awaited new neighbour, Convention Centre / Te Pae
03.06.13. 13 000 quakes survivor, Queen Victoria, Boer War statue, Victoria Sq
03.06.13. Victoria Sq view, red zone, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. The National Bank / Isaac House right awaited new neighbour, Convention Centre / Te Pae
Victoria Sq: Bordered by cordon-clutter, Queen Victoria's bronze statue glared at red-zoned, SMF-cordoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel & abandoned The National Bank / Isaac House which stopped Queen Victoria's view of Christ Church Cathedral ruin. On Queen Victoria's plinth, a bronze memorial-plaque remembered 79 bloodthirsty, Canterbury's Sons who'd died in the Boer War, South Africa. What a waste!
03.06.13. Victoria Sq, Queen Victoria, Boer War statue plaque remembering 79 Canterbury's Sons who'd died in the Boer War, South Africa
*Trekked Papanui Rd, Victoria St, Kilmore St, Victoria Sq. 94 images.
Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Hotel plan for Forsyth Barr building (The Press / Stuff Co).
Responded to an email asking permission for use of The Arcades pics in an Australian publication.
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