Thursday, August 29, 2013

Year 3 CERA. Squabbles: Town Hall, Theatre Precinct, Uninsured Red Zone Land


Histrionic Red Zoning, Residential & CBD focus. Friday 30.08.13. Over the last week, NZ National govt / Council / citizen squabbles in the news:

High Court judge Panckhurst chastised NZ National govt, judging NZ National govt was mistreating Quake Outcasts red zoners by offering 50% RV for red zoners' uninsurable bare land. Judge Panckhurst held NZ National govt to its CERA promises of looking after quake devastated citizens. After all, NZ National govt had created the residential red zone to protect reinsurers, as NZ National govt's EQC was underinsured by govt pre quakes (despite timeous warning to NZ National govt by EQC) thus pre quakes homes were only insured by EQC for a risible $100 000 cap, which forced insurers to pay mega bucks above cap.

Post quakes, to protect overseas reinsurers NZ National govt created red zones, immediately reducing red zone land values (ditto later green TC3 zoning) & with forced offers, took red zone residential land & uninsurable red zone bare land, thus evicting red zoners.

The iniquity of red zoning was that some red zone land wasn't damaged by quakes. It happened to be near quake damaged land. Example: Brooklands with sound housing post quakes was erased by red zoning. Council went along with red zoning & continued to charge homeowners pre quakes rates, until homeowners were evicted with a CERA red zone deadline date to leave.

PM Key threatened to exit the NZ National govt, red zone 50% deal for Quake Outcasts, after having "fun" gambling with ratepayers' & taxpayers' money, taking big chunks of riverside, Port Hills & CBD land. Key thought it was "fun" for property owners enduring a red zone imposed by NZ National govt & threatened by NZ National govt with forced acquisition & removal of services, if property owners didn't accept NZ National govt's 2007 Rateable Value (RV) offer & / or leave the NZ National govt red zone.

While most residential red zoners accepted  NZ National govt's, red zone, forced offer (home insurances were taken by NZ National govt as part of the red zone deal & used to pay out red zoners) Frame land owners in the CBD were less impressed, as purchase of CBD Frame land by CCDU & the threat of forced acquisition of N, E & S Frame land in the CBD went slowly.

Problem with NZ National govt imposed CBD Frame: CERA / CCDU bureaucrats were forcing commercial land owners to sell their CBD land, like CERA forced residential red zone land owners to sell their land. Sell to NZ National govt, or forced acquisition! NZ National govt's idea for CBD Frame land to was to increase land value in CERA's core CBD & to revamp Frame land as parkland / flatland, using citizens' ideas of City in a Garden.

NZ National govt didn't say what it would do with all the residential red zone land it took, nor did it say what it would do with CBD Frame land it took, after it stopped having "fun" in residential red zone land & CBD red zone, Frame parkland.

PM Key soon expediently apologized for his callous "fun" comment.

Sat 31.08.13, I trekked around CERA's core CBD. Little going on, mostly ghosts, few rebuilds, many weedy, demolition sites. The lethargic demolition of Copthorne Hotel by Victoria Sq was stopped for the weekend.

Kilmore St / Manchester St: I could see W across Chubbs & Repertory Theatre demolition sites right through to Town Hall ghost. SW I looked across demolition sights beyond Avon River to Christ Church Cathedral ghost. Many demolition sites wherever I looked, CERA's vaunted "meadows" on some demolition sites were weedy.

CERA minister Brownlee appealed Panckhurst's judgement to the Appeal Court, another Brownlee delay. Regarding CERA's land zoning, Brownlee's MO was delay after delay. CERA's appeal used taxpayers' money of course, while lawyers rubbed their greedy paws.    

28.08.13. CERA media release: True to delay form, Brownlee postponed a Port Hills zoning review using the Appeal case as an excuse.

Kilmore St / Colombo St: Councillors, after actually visiting cordoned Town Hall ghost, only 30 months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, wavered about their previous unanimous decision to restore Town Hall, then again unanimously voted to spend $127.5m (including $68.9m insurance pay out) to restore the Town Hall beside Avon River. That was after badgering by architect, Sir Miles Warren that all his ugly bldgs were being demolished. Councillors were trying to appease Heritage hailers before the next Council election. Brownlee said it was a "lost opportunity." It meant that CERA's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct was endangered, as a revamped Town Hall with its hall & theatre would duplicate any new theatres built on CERA's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct.


30.08.13. Quake trashed, abandoned, Christchurch Town Hall, Kilmore St. Town Hall would be repaired, 2016



Colombo St / Gloucester St: As the Performing Arts Precinct in CCDU's Blueprint would duplicate Town Hall facilities, if Brownlee & captive CCDU architects & planners used their brains, they'd see the "lost opportunity" could convert CCDU's Blueprint loss maker, Convention Centre / Te Pae into a combined Convention Centre / Performing Arts Precinct, with taxpayers' money saved from buying quake trashed land for disparate Christchurch Symphonic Orchestra, Christchurch Music School, Court Theatre... Never mind operation & maintenance costs for separate facilities.


30.08.13. Victoria Sq view, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. Abandoned Victoria Square flats right, awaited demolition for CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Foreground Victoria Bridge (renamed Hamish Hay Bridge) would be repaired, 2016


30.08.13.Victoria Sq view, quake trashed Dandelion Fountain, quake trashed, abandoned Christchurch Town Hall, Avon River. Town Hall would be repaired, 2016





30.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St view, abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left awaited repairs. Isaac Theatre Royal restoration right. Foreground demolition sites - CERA's / CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct. 2021. A demo site, ad board said Court Theatre would be opened on site, 2023


30.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St view, CERA's / CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct left. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel middle behind. The Press rebuild below. Repaired Novotel right



30.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St view, repaired Novotel left. Abandoned Camelot Hotel middle awaited demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild. Quake trashed, abandoned Christ Church Cathedral right


30.08.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St / Gloucester St view, CERA's / CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct left foreground. Isaac Theatre Royal restoration behind left. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel middle behind. The Press rebuild middle. Repaired Novotel right

*Trekked Kilmore St, Colombo St. 13 images.

Why didn't CERA consult theatre buffs? Christchurch CBD theatres were a mess, not only because of quake damages, but because there was no coordination or mediation between Council's & CERA's squabbling. So far CERA had instigated 2 Crown observers / managers, reporting on Council. Minister Brownlee had called mayor Parker a "Clown." Parker wasn't standing for re-election. CERA had instigated an expensive Council "communications" review, but Council communications with the public were still crap since the review. CERA had instigated town clerk Marryatt's demise over Council's poor bldg consents processing. In 2012, there'd been public protests about Council's poor performance.

Kilmore St: Repertory Theatre ghost was demolished near CERA's N Frame.

Manchester St / Lichfield St: Majestic Theatre ghost (happy-clappy church pre quakes) in CERA's Blueprint E Frame, would be demolished by CERA.

Manchester St / Tuam St: Odeon Theatre ghost (ex movie theatre pre quakes) in CERA's S Frame, was part demolished, auditorium exposed to the elements for years, flies gone, salvaged fly roof stood on Manchester St pavement. Tuam St facade was protected by stacked shipping containers obstructing traffic for years.

Gloucester St: Isaac Theatre Royal was restored in CCDU's Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct.

Worcester Blvd (Arts Centre): Court Theatre, steel mesh fence cordoned, had relocated to Addington post quakes & produced public shows. Thirty months post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, Court Theatre was the only pre quakes, CBD theatre doing public shows, yet CERA & Council did nothing about its future.

2021. An ad board on the Performing Arts Precinct demo site said that a new Court Theatre would open on site, 2023. New Public Library / Turanga, new Convention Centre / Te Pae & restored Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel would tower over the new Court Theatre site, currently just cordoned, flattened shingle. Like neighbouring bldgs, as Court Theatre would be built on an Avon River bog, you wouldn't catch me attending shows there.

That CERA demanded resolution of Town Hall's future just before the Council election stank. That Council just affirmed its former $127.5m Town Hall restoration spend without any future for the Court Theatre & other performing arts organizations stank. Mayor Parker & councillors flapped in terminal funk.

Kilmore St: $127,500,000.00 to restore Town Hall ghost on Avon River bank meant throwing $127.5m into a liquefactioned, riverside bog. Town Hall used to have good acoustics in the main hall, but bad acoustics in the James Hay Theatre. Although Crowne Plaza Hotel next door to Town Hall & joining airbridge & the old Convention Centre across the road & joining airbridge were demolished, Council would restore quake trashed Town Hall. Most bldgs along Kilmore St, from Manchester St crossing to Colombo St Crossing to Durham St Nth crossing, were demolished. Remaining pre quakes bldgs were ghosts. The only rebuild so far was Forte Health, ugly glass box.

And that was just the Town Hall. CCDU's Blueprint Stadium on Turners & Growers site would cost about $300m. (Sept 2018 costing: $384 - $561m, The Press 11.09.18. Dec 2019 costing: $472.7m for a 25 000 seater, roofed stadium, The Press 11.12.19). There were several more expensive, anchor projects which Parker & Council had agreed to with Isaac's CCDU. And CCDU couldn't decide whether to leave the E Frame as parkland, or add high density housing.

Coda:

2018-19. CERA's successor, Regenerate Christchurch would oversee Fletcher Living building of apartment blocks E side of E Frame / Rauora Park near Latimer Sq: Worcester Terraces, Latimer Terraces, Liverpool Terraces, Bedford Apartments / Terraces. According to Fletcher Living website, by 2022 all those apartments / terraces would be sold out. More concrete box developments would be built opposite those apartments along Manchester St, W side of skinny Rauora Park. So much for CERA's / CCDU's green Frame. In a former post, I said Manchester St was fucked by quakes & post quake demolitions. Post quakes, horrible, concrete, tilt-slab apartments, terrace apartments & commercial bldgs would fuck Manchester St again. New Manchester St would be reminiscent of Rolleston's concrete, tilt-slab CBD.

2022. Since leaving Christchurch in 2014, I'd seen Timaru District Council notices on windows / walls of earthquake-prone bldgs, especially old, brick bldgs with parapets & gables. There were notices on old, brick, commercial bldgs, King Street, Temuka. SH8, Pleasant Point, taxidermist notice:

TIMARU
DISTRICT COUNCIL

EARTHQUAKE-PRONE BUILDING

This notice is for the building situated at...

The Timaru District Council has not determined if the building is earthquake-prone (because
the owner has not provided an engineering assessment) but is proceeding as if it had
determined this building as earthquake-prone.

The building is a priority building as defined in section 133AE of the Building Act 2004.

The owner of the building is required to carry out building work to ensure that the building is
no longer earthquake-prone (seismic work). The owner is required to complete seismic work by April 2033.

The owner of the building may apply to Timaru District Council under section 133AN of the
Building Act 2004, for an exemption of the requirement to carry out seismic work. The
building must have certain characteristics to be granted an exemption (see the Building
Specified Systems, Change the Use, and Earthquake-prone Buildings) Regulations 2005.

In the event that Timaru District Council determines or is satisfied in accordance with section
133AQ of the Building Act 2004, that the building is not earthquake-prone, the owner is not
required to complete the seismic work.

...
Building Control Manager
Timaru District Council

14 October 2020

Thus NZ Councils were chasing errant building owners of old buildings, to seismic strengthen their buildings. Only the next big quake would show whether the seismic strengthening was OK. I had a weekly pie & coffee at the Temuka Bakery which also had the notice. The building was an old, brick bldg with old, brick parapet. Most of the old, brick bldgs on King St were similar. Such bldgs were lethal when the 22.02.11 Killer Quake struck Christchurch!

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See Government postpones Port Hills zoning review announcement (CERA media release).

See Key treats red zoners with disdain (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Councillors vote for full Town Hall restoration (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Reversing Town Hall decision not impossible (The Press / Stuff Co).

See 20 000 people for city centre (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Cost of Christchurch stadium options range from $384m to $561m (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Fletcher Living, E Frame apartments.

See Christchurch stadium how much ratepayers will contribute (The Press / Stuff Co).