Sunday, December 15, 2013

Year 3 CERA. CCDU's Core CBD: Ghosts, Demolitions, Slow Rebuild

CCDU's Core CBD focus. Sunday 15.12.13. 4.28pm, M3.5 quake, 9km depth, 5km SE of Christchurch (GeoNet). It shook my lounge sofa while I was relaxing after my Christchurch CBD trek. More than 3 years post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake we still experienced aftershocks.

It had been a hot summer afternoon & CERA & Council were slack again about public safety. Although many steel mesh fence cordons were still around CBD ghosts, some cordon fences were down. Whether by wind, vandals, or thieves I didn't know, but the CBD was a demolition mess, dust everywhere. I'd become complacent too, reasoning that as bldgs had survived 1 000s of quakes over the last 3 years & hadn't collapsed I'd be safe.

I'd wanted to see sections of Lichfield St & Hereford St which had recently opened, but which I hadn't trekked since the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. I'd driven the Lichfield St section a few times, past the part demolished, old bus exchange.

Manchester St: I parked my car by St Lukes Anglican Church demolition site to do a circular trek in CCDU's core CBD. Many bldgs had been demolished by CERA in its core CBD. Most bldgs left were ghosts. Commerce spluttered along in Restart Cashel Mall & tourists & locals wandered Cathedral Sq & New Regent St. Despite CCDU's Blueprint 17 months before, little development went on in its core CBD.

A few new bldgs slowly rose from demo sites:

-Forte Health, a steel & glass private hospital to be run by doctors with shares in the bldg, Kilmore St.
-Awly Building (opened 2016): Multi-storey offices along Durham St Nth, between Armagh St & Gloucester St, opp quake damaged Provincial Council bldg. I counted 5 construction cranes & 2 pile drivers there. (See below).
-Multi-storey Deloitte offices, Gloucester St / Cambridge Tce. It would have wavy glass, exterior walls.
-The Terrace, foundations were laid for 4 bldgs, 2 lanes & a court along The Strip demolition sites, Oxford Tce. The Terrace development would splutter along for years & by Sept 2016 still would not be completed. Developer Gough would run out of money, bum funds from Council & only open The Terrace in 2018. Thus ratepayers funded Gough's private development.
-Stranges bldg, a triangular, steel & glass edifice, Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St.

Other than that there were no other new bldgs in the CBD streets I trekked, an indictment of CERA & CCDU. Over the last 17 months there'd been big talk by CERA / CCDU about all the Blueprint wonders to be built in the CBD, like a 35 000 seater, roofed Stadium, Convention Centre / Te Pae, Bus Interchange, Metro Sports Facility, Performing Arts Precinct, houses & parkland in N & E Frames, Margaret Mahy Family Playground in the N Frame on Centennial Pool demolition site, Justice & Emergency Services Precinct, Innovation Precinct, Health Precinct... Excepting EPIC Innovation Precinct, no foundations were laid for any other Blueprint project / precinct yet. Never mind land not yet taken by CCDU for Blueprint schemes by NZ National govt. All those CBD areas were either demolition sites covered in weeds, or shingle, or were haunted by ghosts ever since the 22.02.11 Killer Quake.

CERA's / CCDU's slowness encouraged kitsch. In previous posts I'd blogged kitsch, like Manchester St / Cambridge Tce, by Manchester St Bridge, a tree wrapped in orange tape had attracted passersby to the demolition site for over a year.

Kilmore St / Manchester St: 3 cnrs were demolition sites. St Lukes Anglican Church demolition site had been vacant for over a year with a brick maze in one cnr, based on Chartres Cathedral maze, French religious kitsch. Red poppies bloomed by the maze. 2019. The church demo site would still be vacant, weedy. No rebuild. Next door: 2 storey, boarded, rectory ghost. 2021. Majendie's 185 Empty Chairs Memorial would be on St Lukes demo site.


15.12.13. Poppies, post quake, brick maze, St Lukes demolition site, Kilmore St / Manchester St


15.12.13. St Lukes history info board, wooden belfry, St Lukes demo site, Manchester St

Diag opp cnr, grass grown by CERA last year on demolition sites was weedy, all the way to the PGC demolition site, where 18 people died in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. SE, I saw all the way across demolition sites & empty streets to repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel & Christ Church Cathedral ghost, obscured by repaired / reopened Novotel & Camelot Hotel ghost, awaiting demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild.


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Kilmore St / Manchester St S view: abandoned bldgs, post quake, repaired / reopened hotels in CCDU's core CBD: Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left, Novotel right


15.12.13. Cambridge Tce, PGC demolition site S view, copper dome on Avon River bank, post demolition of Retour Restaurant. Abandoned bldgs, repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel beyond, CCDU's core CBD. 2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be repaired, copper dome on top


15.12.13. Cambridge Tce, PGC demolition site S view, back of restored Isaac Theatre Royal left, repaired / reopened Novotel behind, abandoned Christ Church Cathedral middle, abandoned Camelot Hotel right awaited demolition for Central Library / Turanga rebuild, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Orange digger. Kilmore St SW view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs: Ernst & Young left awaited demolition, Victoria Square apartments right awaited demolition for the Convention Centre / Te Pae, CCDU's core CBD

W along Kilmore St: I trekked past Ernst & Young ghost, awaiting demolition. In the SW distance across demolition sites I saw Forsyth Barr ghost awaiting resurrection as Crowne Plaza Hotel & Victoria Square apartments ghost, awaiting demolition for CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. I trekked past new build Forte Health to Town Hall ghost awaiting repairs. In the distance beyond Town Hall stood abandoned Fino Cafe & apartments, which would survive the quakes.


15.12.13. Kilmore St SW view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs: Ernst & Young left awaited demolition. Forsyth Barr middle awaited conversion to Crowne Plaza Hotel. Victoria Square apartments right awaited demolition for CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Kilmore St W view, Town Hall awaited repairs left, Forte Health new build right, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Forte Health new build, Kilmore St, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Kilmore St / Colombo St crossing, W view, Town Hall left awaited repairs, abandoned Fino apartments middle right would survive the quakes. Venuti restaurant new build right, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Venuti restaurant new build, Colombo St, CCDU's core CBD

Kilmore St / Cambridge Tce / Colombo St: Colombo St Bridge was steel mesh fence cordoned, closed for repairs. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel loomed. Top banner:

  MERRY XMAS
     FOR SALE
AS IS WHERE IS

Although Forsyth Barr, one of the tallest bldgs in Christchurch CBD, had survived the quakes & CERA demolitions, owners wanted to sell. It would be across the road from CERA's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae.


15.12.13. ROAD CLOSED. Orange, plastic, road cones. Orange, plastic, road barrier. Steel mesh fence cordon. Closed for repairs, Colombo St Bridge S view, CCDU's core CBD: Repaired / reopened Novotel left. For Sale, Forsyth Barr middle awaited conversion to Crowne Plaza Hotel. Abandoned Christ Church Cathedral right

July 2015. A Crowne Plaza Hotel banner would hang from the top of Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel. Overseas owners hoped CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae would give them hotel trade. But Te Pae would only be built, 2018-21.

Colombo St: New build Venuti restaurant was open for business, demolition site neighbours.

Green ads on the cordon fence touted the Town Hall & nearby Performing Arts Precinct, in CCDU's Blueprint, the future existence of which was moot depending on funds & repairs to Town Hall ghost. Over the last year there was debate by the old Council & new Council whether to restore the Town Hall or not, as opposed to a new Performing Arts Precinct nearby, bordered by Colombo St, Armagh St, Gloucester St. May 2015. The new Council would confirm the old Council's wish to restore Town Hall, costing $137.5m.

Green ad:

              CHRISTCHURCH TOWN HALL
AND WIDER PERFORMING ARTS PRECINCT


15.12.13. Christchurch Town Hall awaited repairs, Kilmore St, CCDU's core CBD


The snag with CCDU's Performing Arts Precinct was that Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel ghost loomed over the precinct, the Blueprint Performing Arts Precinct in Forsyth Barr's fall zone. During the 22.02.11 Killer Quake, concrete stairs had collapsed in Forsyth Barr & office workers saved themselves, by lowering themselves out of windows using rope. You wouldn't catch me entering, or attending any nearby theatre, new or not, like restored Isaac Theatre Royal.

Across Kilmore St, beyond the old Convention Centre demolition site, I saw Peterborough Street Library, where Leah & I'd experienced 5 potent quakes at the start of the Xmas Quake Swarm 2011, before we fled the library. CCDU wished to build a Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae on the Central Library ghost site, other demolition sites & across Gloucester St to Cathedral Sq. Like other bldgs around Cathedral Sq, the Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae would dwarf Christ Church Cathedral ghost.

The old Convention Centre demolition site, opp Town Hall hall, looked fine for a new Convention Centre, not as big & pretentious as CCDU's Blueprinted one. Any decent sized hotel (& several had reopened in the CBD) had their own convention / conference rooms, which would compete with CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. 2018-19, while Te Pae was  being built, Leah would attend teacher conferences at Rydges Hotel, Latimer Sq where she'd flop out of bed, straight into conference rooms.

2021. Plans would be made for a hotel, offices, shops & apartments to be built on the old Convention Centre demo site between Kilmore St & Peterborough St.


15.12.13. Kilmore St N view, old Convention Centre demolition site, post quakes, Central Library, Peterborough St, CCDU's core CBD

Convention Centre demolition site, lamp pole board:

     CITY CARE
CHRISTCHURCH
    TOWN HALL
  EVACUATION
       MUSTER
         POINT


15.12.13. Evacuation sign, old Convention Centre demolition site, Kilmore St, CCDU's core CBD

A waste of money, as no one had used Town Hall since the quakes.


15.12.13. Abandoned Fino Cafe, Kilmore St, CCDU's core CBD. Fino Cafe & apartments would survive the quakes

Kilmore St / Durham St Nth: Next to Town Hall ghost, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site was a mess, stuffed with Gap Filler temporary junk: the Pallet Pavilion; The Arcades, a series of wooden arches; Gap Filler huts; a garishly painted, business container; a red, double-decker, tourist bus. Devoid of tourists, the bus would pass me twice on my trek. It was as kitsch as CERA's red bus, rubbernecker trips in the red zone CBD during CERA's CBD occupation. All that junk on that CBD demo site showed that money was wasted on frivolity, instead of CERA / CCDU quickly rebuilding the CBD.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon, shipping containers. Gap Filler temporary projects on Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth. Beyond, Court House left. Abandoned Spicers right, CCDU's core CBD. Spicers would be demolished, 2014, replaced by lawyers offices, Tavendale and Partners




15.12.13. The Arcades temporary project, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth, CCDU's core CBD. Abandoned Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel beyond, a bit of Pallet Pavilion right


15.12.13. Red tourist bus, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth, CCDU's core CBD. Town Hall behind awaited repairs


15.12.13. Pallet Pavilion temporary project, Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, Kilmore St / Durham St Nth, CCDU's core CBD. Court House beyond



15.12.13. Kilmore St / Durham St Nth: Salvation Army demolition site view, abandoned / For Sale, Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel left. Abandoned Victoria Square apartments middle, awaited demolition for CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. Court House right, Durham St Nth, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Kilmore St / Durham St Nth: Steel mesh fence cordon. Salvation Army demolition site view, The Arcades, Crown Plaza Hotel demolition site. Beyond, abandoned Town Hall awaited repairs, CCDU's core CBD

Christchurch red zones had degenerated into a hotchpotch of tawdry, survivor bldgs, demolition sites & ghosts, a taggers' paradise.

Unlike CCDU's core CBD, Victoria S opp the Pallet Pavilion was bustling with reopened businesses & 2 multi-storey, new builds, steel & glass boxes, like Industrial Park bldgs at Sir William Pickering Dr near Christchurch Airport.


15.12.13. Crowne Plaza Hotel demolition site, N view, Victoria St new builds

Durham St Nth: I trekked past Salvation Army demolition site, and Court House which in 2022 would be occupied by Huadu International Management Group. Further along, the Methodist Church demolition site showed no respect for 3 people who'd died there in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. It was a Council carpark with an Espresso trailer catering for Court House denizens across the road. 2019. A new Durham St Methodist Church would be built on the church demo site, an ugly church, with a truncated tower similar to the shortened tower of the new All Soul's Anglican Church built on St Mary's Anglican Church site, Church Ln / Papanui Rd. All Soul's was another ugly new church. After Shigaru Ban's ugly Cardboard Cathedral, it seemed Anglicans & Methodists were competing to see which denomination could rebuild the ugliest church.


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Carpark, Espresso trailer, Methodist Church demolition site, where 3 people died in the 22.02.11 quake, Durham St Nth, CCDU's core CBD. The church would be rebuilt on site


Armagh St to Gloucester St crossings: Landsborough House / URS House & Amuri Courts demolition sites behind steel mesh fence cordons, had 5 cranes & 2 pile drivers, Sunday sentinels for the new multi-storey, steel & glass, office block, Awly Building. Across the road, Provincial Council ghost awaited restoration behind a steel mesh fence cordon. Sept 2019. Durham St Nth / Armagh St: Quake City display, after a stay in Cashel Mall, had found a new home in a new multi-storey rebuild.


15.12.13. Office complex, new build, Durham St Nth, CCDU's core CBD







15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Deloitte offices, new build, Gloucester St / Cambridge Tce, CCDU's core CBD



15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Provincial Council, closed for restoration, Durham St Nth, CCDU's core CBD. Abandoned Rydges Hotel beyond






Armagh St Bridge: ROAD CLOSED, due to a steel mesh fence cordon across Armagh St by Victoria Square apartments ghost & CCDU's delays in purchase of land, demolitions & new build of its Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae. CERA & CCDU were good at big talk, demolitions, delays, taking & demolishing 1 000s of red zone homes & CBD Frame properties for the Crown. But 3 years post quakes, due to CERA / CCDU delays, there was little business happening in its core CBD, little rebuild & next to no new builds.


15.12.13. ROAD CLOSED. Steel mesh fence cordon. Armagh St Bridge closed, due to abandoned high rises beyond: Victoria Square apartments, awaited demolition. Forsyth Barr For Sale / awaited repairs, CCDU's core CBD

Cambridge Tce / Gloucester St: Beginnings of Deloitte offices construction, another multi-storey. Nearby bldg, yellow mural, enigmatic black lettering:

            E
        STE
PEOPLE


15.12.13. Cambridge Tce view, mural on tilt slab wall, Deloitte offices new build. CCDU's core CBD

Gloucester St Bridge: Closed for repairs. That blocked customers for recently restored New Regent St. CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae, would occupy the Central Library site & some of Gloucester St, constipating Gloucester St traffic.

Gloucester St: On an abandoned wall, a blue mural below Government Life ghost, awaited demolition, Cathedral Sq.


15.12.1.3 Steel mesh fence cordon. Cambridge Tce view, closed for repairs Gloucester St Bridge, SE view, Cathedral Sq bldgs: Repaired / reopened Novotel left; abandoned Government Life middle, awaited demolition, with blue mural below; abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel right, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Cambridge Tce view, closed for repairs Gloucester St Bridge, NE view, abandoned bldgs in CCDU's core CBD: Victoria Square apartments left, awaited demolition; Forsyth Barr For Sale middle; Central Library awaited demolition for CCDU's Blueprint Convention Centre / Te Pae

Cambridge Tce: Edwardian dressed punters on Avon River. They'd punted that stretch for months. Beyond stood Central Police, Cambridge Tce / Hereford Tce, which would be imploded, 31.05.15. Central Police would move to a temp site, St Asaph St / Antigua St awaiting the 2018 opening of CERA's Blueprint Justice & Emergency Services bldg. NgaiTahu would build West End multi-storey carpark on the old Central Police site & also open a new office block on adjacent King Edward Barracks site, 2017.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Cambridge Tce upstream view, Avon River punters near Worcester St Bridge, CCDU's core CBD



Worcester St Bridge: Open for pedestrians going to Cathedral Sq demolition sites & desolation. Edwardian trams trundled over too.


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Worcester St Bridge / Cambridge Tce view, abandoned Central Police, repaired Council bldg, CCDU's core CBD. Central Police would be imploded 31.05.15. Ngai Tahu's multi-storey West End carpark would open on site, 2017



15.12.13. Tram crossing Cambridge Tce by Worcester St Bridge, CCDU's core CBD. Central Police behind would be imploded 31.05.15. Ngai Tahu's multi-storey West End carpark would open on site, 2017


15.12.13. Worcester St Bridge, E view, Cathedral Sq: Steel propped Our City left, abandoned Rydges Hotel beyond left, abandoned Christ Church Cathedral middle, abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel middle right, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Worcester St Bridge, W view, Cambridge Tce crossing, Worcester Blvd, CCDU's core CBD. HSBC Tower left, abandoned Harley right. 2022. Harley bldg would still be abandoned, a boarded, tagged eyesore, asbestos polluted

I trekked beside Avon River to Hereford St Bridge. Along the way, E across Clarendon Tower demolition site was Christ Church Cathedral ghost behind cordon fencing, awaiting Heritage hailers saving the Cathedral via court cases galore vs the Anglican diocese wanting to demolish the Cathedral. The Cathedral cordon fence was black with kitsch floral decorations on it. 2020. That ghastly black fencing was still there. On the W side of Cathedral Sq, in front of the Cathedral, a kitsch Maori whare stood, filled with plants.

2021. The floral whare & cop kiosk would be gone, demolished. Christ Church Cathedral ghost would still be kitsch fenced, in the process of reinstatement for the next decade odd.

2022. Christ Church Cathedral, W, N, S cordon fence would be covered with hundreds of white square, ad boards touting Ullrich Aluminium. Mt Gerald Station farmer, who would head-hunt Leah as a lake Tekapo School teacher was a director of Ullrich Aluminium. The WW Memorial (covered in aluminium scaffolding & white plastic) would be moved further W enabling reinstatement machinery to operate. A cordon board:

The Citizens' War Memorial
is on the move

Following careful deconstruction
and repair work, the Memorial
will be reinstated on public land
in Cathedral Square. Christchurch
City Council will then continue to
care for it on behalf of the citizens
of Christchurch

Together, the Dean and Chapter
of Christ Church Cathedral, and
Church Property Trustees are
very pleased to gift the Memorial
to the city and to support
the Council in its repair and
relocation.

The project to relocate the Citizens'
War Memorial has been made possible
thanks to funding and support from:...

2023. Ullrich Aluminium ads on the cordon fence surrounding Christ Church Cathedral reinstatement was covered by pics of grinning faces who were saving the Cathedral. A history timeline was on the Cathedral cordon fence stating how the Cathedral was being saved, but omitted mentioning recent sqabbles between the Anglican diocese & Heritage hailers.


15.12.13. Cambridge Tce view, Cathedral Sq: Clarendon Tower demolition site in foreground. Abandoned Rydges Hotel shops & multi-storey carpark left. Abandoned Government Life left awaited demolition. Repaired / reopened Novotel, Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel middle. Abandoned Christ Church Cathedral right, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Oxford Tce view, Hereford St Bridge, E view, reopened Ibis Hotel middle left, part demolished BNZ beyond, Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD. 2019. Spark multi-storey would be built on BNZ demo site


15.12.13. Oxford Tce, N view, Our City awaited restoration left, CCDU's core CBD. 2021. Our City restoration would begin

Hereford St Bridge: An E view to Restart Cashel Mall, shipping container shops on several demolition sites. Wooden, green, Shands Emporium ghost was on Hereford St, close to Restart Cashel Mall shipping containers. The Press, Xmas Day would report that a local "nutter" would spend $250 000 to relocate Shands Emporium, a heritage bldg, to Redcliffs & restore it.

June 2015. Shands Emporium ghost would be relocated to Manchester St, next to Trinity Church ghost, while post quake rebuild, Westende House across the road was demolished, for Manchester St widening. 2019. Michael Mayell, Cookie Time owner would want to turn Shands Emporium & Trinity Church into NZ's Cannabis Institute, Whakamana. That farce fizzled. (See Coda below).


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Hereford St Bridge, SE view, Oxford Tce demolition sites. Relocating Shands Emporium beyond by Restart Cashel Mall, CCDU's core CBD

Oxford Tce from Hereford St to Lichfield St crossings: Either demolition sites or ghosts, like Mad Cow. Along Oxford Tce, The Terrace development along Avon River bank already had foundations laid behind cordon fencing. Info boards on the cordon fencing described The Terrace concept for passersby. Bridge of Remembrance was being repaired.

2014. Mad Cow would be demolished for relocated Restart Cashel Mall shipping container shops. Container shops were moved so that BNZ Centre could be built further down Cashel Mall next to Pagoda Court ghost, opp Ballantynes.

2019. Pagoda Court would be demolished for Kathmandu opening. Demo sites, Lichfield St / Oxford Tce where Mad Cow & shipping container shops once stood would become Riverside Market with several cafes, restaurants & a fresh fish shop.


15.12.13. The Terrace new build, Oxford Tce, CCDU's core CBD








15.12.13. The Terrace foundations, Oxford Tce, Restart Cashel Mall beyond, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Bridge of Remembrance repairs, Oxford Tce, CCDU's core CBD




15.12.13. Oxford Tce, E view, Restart Cashel Mall, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Demolition site carpark, Restart Cashel Mall, Oxford Tce, CCDU's core CBD



15.12.13. Abandoned Mad Cow, awaited demolition, Oxford Tce, CCDU's core CBD. Riverside Market would be built on site


15.12.13. Abandoned bldg, Oxford Tce / Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD

Private sector, commercial development in post quake Christchurch was much quicker than slow commercial development in CCDU's core CBD. Private sector Victoria St, Riccarton Rd & Moorhouse Ave were humming with new developments. CCDU's core CBD was stagnant.

Lichfield St: I trekked E past Omega Rental Cars ghost, past a demolition site carpark going to Restart Cashel Mall, past a carpark garage ghost, past flower tubs by the busy temporary Bus Exchange, past post quake, Ballantynes Fashion Atrium, past Rohits Indian restaurant ghost. Rohits Indian Restaurant would be demolished for Hoyts EntX, opened 2018.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Omega Rental Cars, Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Lichfield St, N view, demolition site carpark for Restart Cashel Mall, Hereford St beyond, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned carpark, Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD. The carpark would be revamped next to new Riverside Market. Another multi-storey carpark would be built further E along Lichfield St


15.12.13. Flower tubs, Temporary Bus Exchange, Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. BUS ACCESS ONLY. Orange, plastic, road cone cordon. Lichfield St, Temporary Bus Exchange view, Ballantynes Fashion Atrium new build, CCDU's core CBD



15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Lichfield St, E view, abandoned bldgs, incl Rohits Indian restaurant right, CCDU's core CBD, Rohits Indian Restaurant would be demolished for Hoyts EntX, opened 2018


Lichfield St / Colombo St crossing: Full of orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordons & a trench down the middle of Colombo St towards the airbridge at The Crossing by Cashel Mall. Airbridge sides were covered with pics of a blue sky with white clouds.

One cnr of Lichfield St crossing was a weedy demolition site, the other 3 cnrs had ghosts, like R & R Sport & The Frontrunner, with a broken window & a series of silvery, plastic mannequins "running" beside inner walls of the shop. The Frontrunner would be demolished for the Bus Interchange, opened 2018.

Council's idea of art was to waste money painting kitsch, geometric patterns & flowers on Colombo St & Gloucester St, giving colour to drab demolition sites & attracting citizens back to the CBD. Over the last couple of quake years, we'd seen 2 life sized, bronze bull statues on 2 grand pianos, on a Madras St demolition site & 2 giant, silver gnomes guarding the closed- for-quake-repairs Art Gallery, Worcester Blvd. There were new murals, graffiti & pavement graffiti by contractors all over town. There was container art covering shipping containers below cliffs on the road to Sumner.


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cones. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St / Lichfield St, N view, post quake Colombo St repair, demolition site, abandoned bldgs. Kitsch road markings on pedestrian crossing, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St / Lichfield St crossing, post quake N view, Colombo St repair, sky art on airbridge at The Crossing. Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel behind awaited repairs, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St / Lichfield St crossing, post quake S view, Colombo St repairs, abandoned bldgs, CCDU's core CBD. Frontrunner left would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange, opened 2018. Bldgs right would be demolished for Hoyts EntX, opened 2018.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned R & R Sport, The Frontrunner, Colombo St / Lichfield St crossing, CCDU's core CBD. The Frontrunner would be demolished for the New Bus Interchange, opened 2018. R & R Sport would be demolished for Hoyts EntX, opened 2018


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange digger. Colombo St / Lichfield St crossing view, abandoned The Frontrunner, CCDU's core CBD. The Frontrunner would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange, opened 2018



15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Colombo St / Lichfield St crossing, W view, Colombo St repairs, abandoned bldgs lining Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD. R & R Sport left would be demolished for Hoyts EntX, opened 2018


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Quake demolition site, abandoned, old, bus exchange, Colombo St / Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD. The area would be part of The Crossing new build


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Lichfield St / Colombo St crossing, E view, Lichfield St, abandoned bldgs lining Lichfield St. Abandoned, old bus exchange left, CCDU's core CBD, would be part of The Crossing new build

Lichfield St E to Manchester St: Pre quakes, bus exchange ghost was a part demolished, dusty mess with gaping holes in the walls & twisted rebars awaiting final demolition. The area close to Colombo St would become part of The Crossing. Beyond was Lincoln House ghost, surrounded by demolition sites.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Part demolished bus exchange, Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD. The demo site would become The Crossing new build








Lichfield St: N view across demolition sites & empty cordoned streets, I saw across Cashel St to Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition site which would become Grand Central Building, a multi-storey office bldg. Beyond, a trio of ghosts: Malvern House, an apartment block & Broadlands House on desolate Hereford St. (Those 3 ghosts would for years be taggers' & vagrants' paradise). Behind them I saw the back of Government Departmental Buildings, now reopened Heritage Hotel. Next door was Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel ghost. Behind Heritage Hotel, repaired / reopened Novotel was seen. NE repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel loomed above the lot.


15.12.13. Lichfield St N view, demolition gap by part demolished bus exchange left. Back sides of abandoned bldgs beyond, around Cathedral Sq. Only Novotel & Heritage Hotel middle left & Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel right beyond were repaired & reopened, CCDU's core CBD



15.12.13. Lichfield St demolition site N view, Hereford St, bldgs around Cathedral Sq: part demolished BNZ left, abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel middle, repaired, reopened Novotel & Heritage Hotel right, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Lichfield St demolition site, NE view, abandoned Hereford St bldgs: Malvern House middle left, apartments middle, Broadlands House & Mancinis Cafe middle right. Repaired Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel behind left, abandoned Design & Arts College behind right, CCDU's core CBD. Rubble heap, Grand Chancellor Hotel demolition site would become Grand Central Building. Cars parked on Westpac demolition site


15.12.13. Orange, plastic road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned bldgs, Lichfield St. Part demolished bus exchange left, Lincoln House right, CCDU's core CBD




15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. New build, Stranges office block, Lichfield St / High St / Manchester St, CCDU's S Frame


Lichfield St: S view across a CERES demolition site & steel mesh fence cordons was a yellow, CERES crane surrounded by irrigators spraying water to lay dust. There was no explanatory board nor DANGER signs on the cordon fence. Was I breathing in asbestos dust? Beyond the sprayers was the backside of Tuam St mult-storey Council ghost, covered in a wall of white plastic. I'd seen several multi-storey ghosts over quake years covered in white plastic. Tuam St, Council ghost awaited demolition for the Bus Interchange.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Lichfield St view, back of abandoned Council bldg covered in white plastic, CCDU's core CBD. The Council bldg would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange




15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Part demolished bldg & abandoned bldg propped by stacked shipping containers, Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD







15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Stranges new build & stacked shipping containers propping a facade, Lichfield St. Red tourist bus searching for tourists, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. USAR / TF graffiti, abandoned bldg, Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned bldg, Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD

Next to the white, plastic-wrapped, Council ghost was a part demolished, brick bldg. The next door facade of another brick bldg was propped by a 6 layer wall of shipping containers. That area of the still forbidden CBD around Sol Sq ghost had 4 more bldgs in the vicinity with old, brick facades propped by stacked shipping containers: one facade on Manchester St; Odeon Theatre facade propped by containers on Tuam St; another facade propped on High St; another facade propped, Manchester St / Bedford Row. Heritage hailers wanted to save Majestic Theatre ghost, Lichfield St / Manchester St & Council ghost, Tuam St. Both ghosts would be demolished for E Frame / Rauora Park & the Bus Interchange respectively.

Lichfield St / High St / Manchester St: Stranges steel & glass bldg, similar to Forte Health on Kilmore St, were the only two recent rebuilds so far in CERA's core CBD. Both glass facaded bldgs. CERA minister Brownlee bulshitted about post quake Christchurch as the "Sports Capital of NZ." After thousands of house demolitions, Brownlee wished to flood Avon River residential red zones, making a rowers' paradise.


15.12.13. Orange, plastic road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Lichfield St / Manchester St / High St, W view, abandoned bldgs, Stranges new build, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Lichfield St / Manchester St, S view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs towards Sol Sq, CCDU's core CBD



15.12.13. Manchester St, SW view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs by Sol Sq, CCDU's core CBD. Odeon Theatre facade propped by stacked shipping containers left, Tuam St, CCDU's S Frame


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, S view, demolition sites, facades propped by stacked shipping containers, CCDU's S Frame & abandoned bldgs by Sol Sq, CCDU's core CBD




15.12.13. Faux pissoir for ads. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St / High St, E view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs, facade propped by stacked shipping containers, High St, CCDU's S Frame. Old PO / Alice in Videoland behind, junk art on roof, Tuam St / High St



15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange, plastic bollards. Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St, E view, part demolished Poplar Ln, CCDU's S Frame. The bldg would survive the quakes as Dux Central


15.12.13. Quake tilted lamp pole. Quake outdated, Council info board. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange, plastic bollards. Manchester St / High St, N view, abandoned Manchester St bldgs: Te Wanaga o Aotearoa left would survive the quakes as revamped The Art Muse Hotel in CCDU's core CBD. Majestic Theatre right awaited demolition for CCDU's E Frame / Rauora Park


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange, plastic bollards. Abandoned, cordoned Majestic Theatre, awaited demolition, Manchester St / Lichfield St, CCDU's E Frame / Rauora Park


15.12.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordons. Stranges new build, Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St, CCDU's core CBD. Orange Nucleus sculpture right would survive the quakes


    


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, W view, High St, restored Bonnington House abandoned bldgs, incl WINZ, CCDU's core CBD

Manchester St: Still fucked by CCDU, cleaving W side into core CBD & E side into Blueprint E Frame / S Frame, Lichfield St the divide. I trekked N past cordoned Bedford Way, demolition sites & ghosts, which would be demolished for E Frame / Rauora Park. I trekked past all Manchester Street's quake ravaged, demolition sites & ghosts, like Majestic Theatre, awaiting demolition for Rauora Park & in CCDU's Core CBD: Te Wananga o Aotearoa (awaiting restoration as The Art Muse Hotel) by the orange Nucleus sculpture; Holiday Inn demolition site; Kensington House ghost, awaiting restoration; All Seasons Hotel (Break Free) ghost behind. I trekked past fallen steel mesh fence cordons by Te Wananga o Aotearoa & Kensington House. There were orange, plastic bollards & orange, plastic, road cones, ubiquitous as rebuild workers in their orange or greeny-yellow, Hi- Vis vests.


15.12.13. Orange, plastic bollards, steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned bldgs, Manchester St, incl Majestic Theatre right, awaiting demolition, 2014, for CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Facade propped by stacked shipping containers, Manchester St / Bedford Row. The bldg would be demolished, 2014, for CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordoned Manchester St / Bedford Row junction, E view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs, for CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park. Abandoned IR bldg middle would survive the quakes


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange, plastic, road fence. Stacked shipping container cordon. Manchester St, SE view, abandoned bldgs between Bedford Row & Lichfield St. Abandoned Majestic Theatre behind. The bldgs would be demolished, 2014, for CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park


15.12.13. Yellow stickered, USAR / TF graffitied, abandoned Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Manchester St / High St, CCDU's core CBD. The building would be restored as The Art Muse Hotel






15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, SW view, demolition sites, like Holiday Inn, Cashel St, & CCDU's core CBD abandoned bldgs


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, NW view, CCDU's core CBD demolition sites & abandoned bldgs, like All Seasons Hotel middle. Repaired, reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel behind right. All Seasons would be renamed Break Free, which would stand next to Grand Central Building on Hotel Grand Chancellor demo site


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St view across demolition sites & Cashel St to abandoned bldgs, like WINZ middle, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Kensington House, side wall stripped off by quake, Manchester St, CCDU's core CBD. Kensington House would be restored. All Seasons (Break Free) behind left would also survive the quakes




15.12.13. USAR / TF graffitied, yellow stickered, Kensington House, Manchester St, CCDU's core CBD. Kensington House would be restored

Manchester St E view: E Frame bldgs awaited CCDU's taking & road widening, like Shooters ghost, Manchester Courts demolition site & Oaks Smartstay Apartments ghost, Cashel St. CCDU's Blueprint E Frame, demo land had some revived bldgs: Alice in Videoland, Tuam St; CI Cafe, High St; Les Mills Gym, Cashel St & Calendar Girls, Hereford St. Calendar Girls would be demolished & relocated to Victoria St opp the Casino.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange, plastic, road fence. Manchester St NE view, Cashel St abandoned bldgs: Shooters left, Oaks Smartstay Apartments right. Shooters & adjacent bldgs would be demolished, 2014, for CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park



15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St NE view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs along Cashel St. Oaks Homestay Apartments left. 2014. The bldgs would be demolished for CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Shooters, Manchester St. Oaks Smartstay Apartments behind. 2014. The bldgs would be demolished for the CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Orange, plastic bollards. Abandoned bldgs, Manchester St. 2014. Bldgs would be demolished for CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park



Manchester St E view: Steel mesh fence cordoned demolition sites went all the way E, along Lichfield St, past ruined High St & demolished Poplar Ln, to Madras St & beyond to Turners & Growers site where CERA had Blueprinted a 35 000 seater stadium.

Latimer Sq: The Anglican diocese had erected its temp Cardboard Cathedral, Jap architect Shigeru Ban, on its St Johns demolition site, just outside CCDU's Blueprint E Frame, close to the Blueprint stadium site.

Manchester St / Hereford St crossing: I'd detoured W to see demolition sites & ghosts I'd not viewed close up since the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. Demolition sites on 3 cnrs, incl Bradley Nuttal House ghost & Torrens House ghost on NE cnr. Both bldgs would be demolished for CCDU's E Frame / Rauora Park.


15.12.13. Demolition sites, incl Bradley Nuttal House, Torrens House, NE Manchester St / Hereford St, NZ CCDU's E Frame / Rauora Park


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. SE Manchester St / Hereford St, E view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs, CCDU's Blueprint E Frame. Temp reopened Calendar Girls left. A bit of Cardboard Cathedral beyond



Hereford St: Demolition sites both side of the street, lined by ghosts. I looked S across the Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition site to wasteland Cashel St & High St to Stranges steel & glass rebuild, restored Bonnington House & ghosts like WINZ & beyond, to part demolished, Bus Exchange ghost, Lichfield St & white plastic wrapped, Council ghost, Tuam St. Another demolition site had a parked yellow digger next to an almost demolished bldg by 2 yellow skips. Demolition rubble was either crushed on site for rebuild foundations, or stored in skips for trucking to Burwood dump, Bottle Lake Forest Park.


15.12.13. Hereford St view, Hotel Grand Chancellor, demolition site S view across wasteland Cashel St & High St to restored Bonnington House middle left & abandoned bldgs, CCDU's core CBD. Abandoned All Seasons Hotel left would be renamed Break Free. Most of this demo site would become Grand Central Building


15.12.13. Hereford St view, Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition site, Stranges steel & glass rebuild left, restored Bonnington House, High St right, CCDU's core CBD. Grand Central Building would be built on the demo site


15.12.13. Hereford St view, Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition site, restored Bonnington House left, abandoned WINZ middle, more abandoned bldgs, High St, CCDU's core CBD. Grand Central Building would be built on the demo site




15.12.13. Hereford St & Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition site, S view across wasteland Cashel St, High St & Lichfield St demolition sites & abandoned bldgs to abandoned Tuam St Council bldg, covered in white plastic, middle. Part demolished, old bus exchange right, Lichfield St, CCDU's core CBD. The old Council bldg would be demolished for the new Bus Interchange. Demo site in this pic would become Grand Central Building




15.12.13. Hereford St, SE view across Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition site to abandoned All Seasons Hotel / Break Free left, High St rebuild & restored bldgs, CCDU's core CBD. Most of the demo site would become Grand Central Building


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Yellow, high reach digger. Demolition in progress, Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD





15.12.13. Hereford St, SW view across demolition sites to High St & Cashel St abandoned bldgs, CCDU's core CBD

Hereford St: N, I snapped a cnr, steel mesh fence cordoned, Chinese Restaurant & Bistro ghost & steel mesh fence cordoned, Hereford Chambers / Mancini's ghost, steel & concrete block propped, black plastic flapping in the wind at roof height. Across a steel mesh fence cordoned lane, 3 ghosts were propped together: Broadlands House, abandoned apartments with powder blue outer walls & Malvern House, all with quake broken windows & rubbished by quakes. Further along Hereford St, a big demolition site with loose excavator buckets, demolition rubble & parked yellow digger gave a similar view to what I'd seen from Lichfield St. I saw Christ Church Cathedral ghost apse between reopened Heritage Hotel & Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel ghost.

2015. Chinese Restaurant ghost would resurrect as Mexico Restaurant, Hereford St / Manchester St.

2022. Ghosts: Malvern House, ghost apartments, Broadlands House, Hereford Chambers / Mancini's would still be eyesores, Hereford St.


15.12.13. ROAD CLOSED. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned bldgs, CCDU's core CBD, Manchester St / Hereford St. Repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel behind. 2015. Cnr Chinese Restaurant would become Mexico Restaurant


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Chinese Restaurant & Bistro, Manchester St / Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD. 2015. Chinese Restaurant would become Mexico Restaurant


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Hereford St N view, demolition site, abandoned bldgs: Hereford Chambers / Mancini's left, Design & Art College behind, CCDU's core CBD 


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Hereford St NW view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs, CCDU's core CBD: Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel left, Malvern House & apartments middle, Broadlands House right



15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Hereford St NW view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs, CCDU's core CBD: Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel left; Malvern House, apartments & Broadlands House middle; Hereford Chambers / Mancini's right



15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Hereford Chambers / Mancini's, 167 Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD





15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Broadlands House left; abandoned, concrete & steel propped Hereford Chambers / Mancini's right, Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD




15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Broadlands House entrance, Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD



15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned apartments entrance, Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Malvern House entrance, Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD





15.12.13. Quake trashed office, Malvern House, Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD




15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Hereford St N view, demolition site, abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel & Christ Church Cathedral apse left, repaired / reopened Heritage Hotel right, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Hereford St N view, demolition site, abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel left, repaired / reopened Novotel middle, repaired / reopened Heritage Hotel right, CCDU's core CBD





15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Hereford St NE view, demolition site, repaired / reopened Heritage Hotel left, repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel behind, abandoned Malvern House & apartments right, CCDU's core CBD

Hereford St: Although Avonmore Tertiary College was opened months before, it was dusty & bordered by demolition sites, ghosts & a steel mesh fence cordon across the street. How could they do business obstructed by all that CBD cordon fencing? (Aug 2018. Avonmore College would go into voluntary liquidation. Sept 2019, FOR LEASE sign in window). That was the challenge of any business reopening in CCDU's core CBD: surrounded by dust, demolition sites, ghosts & grinding, thumping machines. Some examples: Avonmore College; Restart Cashel Mall, temp shipping container shops; Ibis Hotel; Novotel; Rendezvous Hotel / Pacific Tower; Heritage Hotel; New Regent St shops; The Press rebuild; Cathedral Junction shops.

Sept 2019. While Tertiary Avonmore College went bung, across Hereford St, during 2018-19, Spark multi-storey new build would progress. A slow rebuild, as Spark was built on BNZ demo site, notorious for asbestos pollution. Meanwhile across Cathedral Sq, on Worcester St by Rydges Hotel ghost shops I saw DANGER ASBESTOS DUST HAZARD on yellow, plastic tape on a steel mesh fence cordon. How many 1000s of citizens had wandered past that asbestos hazard before the hazard tape was hung?

There were also shops beyond CCDU's core CBD, mostly in CCDU's Blueprint E Frame, struggling to do business, surrounded by demolition wastelands & ghosts, like Westende House (would be CERA demolished for Manchester St widening); Calendar Girls (would be relocated close to Christchurch Casino); Les Mills Gym; Alice in Videoland; C1 Cafe; NG Gallery. The only busy organization was the Anglican Cardboard Cathedral by Latimer Sq, on CCDU's Blueprint E Frame fringe.

While I trekked Hereford St looking at asbestos polluted, part demolished BNZ bank by Colombo St crossing, 3 young women wandered by, one pushing a pram. Infant asbestosis or silicosis?


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. W view Hereford St: Reopened Avonmore Tertiary College left, part demolished BNZ middle right, reopened Ibis Hotel beyond, CCDU's core CBD. BNZ demo site would become Spark multi-storey


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Reopened Avonmore Tertiary College, Hereford St, CCDU's core CBD. Aug 2018. Avonmore College would go into voluntary liquidation

Manchester St: I trekked back to my car, past vast demolition sites both sides of the road. By Worcester St crossing, on the SW cnr was steel mesh fence cordoned, boarded, steel braced, Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant ghost.


15.12.13. Manchester St W view, abandoned Chinese Restaurant & Bistro left, abandoned Hereford Chambers / Mancini's middle, CCDU's core CBD. 2015. Chinese Restaurant would become Mexico Restaurant


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St SW view, abandoned bldgs: Hereford Chambers / Mancini's left, apartments middle, Malvern House right, CCDU's core CBD. 2022. Those bldgs would still be abandoned eyesores


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Design & Arts College left, abandoned Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant right, repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel behind, Manchester St, CCDU's core CBD. Shands Emporium would be relocated next to Trinity Church


15.12.13. Boarded, steel braced, abandoned Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant, Manchester St, CCDU's core CBD

Across the road, Westende House new build, scene of collapsed Westende Jeweller, Ground Zero in the 04.09.10 Darfield Quake. As new Westende House was built before CERA's regime, CERA / CCDU would demolish brand new Westende House for CERA's Manchester St widening & Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park. Westende House would be demolished, July 2015.


15.12.13. Westende House new build, Ground Zero 04.09.10 Darfield Quake, where Westende Jeweller once stood, Manchester St / Worcester St, CCDU's Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park. July 2015, Westende House would be demolished by CERA for Manchester St widening

Manchester St: Both sides, between Worcester St & Gloucester St crossings, had dusty demolition sites, some going to Latimer Sq. Cathedral Junction had recently opened with slow trading, big CJ logo high on the concrete wall, Manchester St side. Months before, at the bottom of the CJ wall, an artist had splashed orange paint, street art. 2019. Orange "art" would still pollute the concrete wall.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St NW view, kitsch, orange mural on repaired / reopened Cathedral Junction wall. Repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel behind, CCDU's core CBD

I detoured W up Gloucester St to revamped New Regent St where Asian tourists happy-snapped. The Wizard's red, VW Beetle was parked on New Regent St. It had 2 fronts of 2 VW Beetles welded together, 2 steering wheels, 2 bonnets, 4 doors.


15.12.13. Gloucester St NW view, stacked shipping containers supported Isaac Theatre Royal restoration left, repaired / reopened New Regent St middle, Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel behind, CCDU's core CBD 


15.12.13. Repaired / reopened Cathedral Junction, Gloucester St, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. The Wizard's red, VW Beetle parked on repaired / reopened New Regent St, CCDU's core CBD

On a neighbouring demolition site, a demolition mural with a Lorca poem, memorial to a quake killed Spaniard. People from many lands had died in the 22.02.11 Killer Quake. On the dusty demolition site locals flogged table wares. The bike fixing shack was closed.


15.12.13. Gloucester St demolition site behind New Regent St: Rotary tyre / weed pot; mini golf; wares for sale; bike repair hut; mural with Lorca poem, CCDU's core CBD





Manchester St / Gloucester St: More kitsch art, a dark mural of Christ Church Cathedral & The Wizard in black garb flailing his arms on a dark & stormy night & a lady in black garb in the right cnr. Artists were recently encouraged to cover demolition walls with graffiti art. The real reason was to cover tilt slab, concrete walls, new blots on the CBD.


15.12.13. Kitsch mural right, Gloucester St demolition site, abandoned Sampan House left, repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel middle, CCDU's core CBD. Sampan House would survive the quakes



15.12.13. Empty tourist bus, kitsch road markings, Gloucester St. Repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel behind, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon sign. "Cleaned" demolition site, Manchester St / Gloucester St, CCDU's core CBD

Council kitsch: Gaudy flowers painted on CBD pavements; garish green stripes painted on Colombo St & Gloucester St roadsides; garish planter tubs & metal flower tubs on roadsides.

Rotary had placed orange painted tyres as flower pots on demolition sites. Most ended up surrounded by weeds.

Greening the Rubble org tarted up demolition sites with pot plants. The effect, a dusty, weedy, junky mess.

Manchester St / Gloucester St: Dirty demolition site, steel mesh fence cordon sign:

THIS SITE WAS
CLEANED
PLANT GANG


15.12.13. Manchester St Bridge view, quake broken, Avon River bank wall, demolished Retour Restaurant dome, abandoned Ernst & Young behind, CCDU's core CBD. 2015. Ernst & Young would be demolished. 2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be restored, copper dome on top


Manchester St Bridge view: Cambridge Tce, Retour Restaurant's copper dome had stood on Avon River bank for months. (By 2015 the copper dome was wrapped in white plastic. 2019. The wrapped plastic dome would still be there. 2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be fully restored, copper dome on top). Beyond was Ernst & Young ghost, awaiting demolition.


15.12.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St W view, demolition sites, abandoned Ernst & Young left, awaited demolition, Forte Health new build right, CCDU's core CBD

Cambridge Tce: I trekked dry grass by the PGC demolition site & looked S across Avon River at the CBD's post quake skyline. There were few high rises left: restored Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel; glassy The Press new build; restored Novotel; Forsyth Barr / Crowne Plaza Hotel ghost. Christ Church Cathedral ghost rotted below Novotel. From all viewpoints on my circular walk around CCDUs' core CBD, Christ Church Cathedral was insignificant. Despite demolitions of some surrounding bldgs, Christ Church Cathedral was dwarfed by modern bldgs.


15.12.13. Cambridge Tce S view: 18 people died when PGC collapsed in the 22.02.11 quake. CCDU's core CBD & post quake skyline: Repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left, The Press rebuild middle left, repaired / reopened Novotel middle right, abandoned Christ Church Cathedral right


15.12.13. Cambridge Tce: PGC demolition site S view, repaired / reopened Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel left, repaired / reopened New Regent St middle, The Press rebuild right, CCDU's core CBD


15.12.13. Cambridge Tce: PGC demolition site S view, repaired / reopened New Regent St left, The Press rebuild middle left, repaired / reopened Novotel middle right, abandoned Christ Church Cathedral right, CCDU's core CBD

*Trekked Kilmore St, Durham St Nth, Cambridge Tce, Oxford Tce, Lichfield St, Manchester St, Hereford St. 232 images.

Although I would write more quake blog posts, I would stop snapping ghosts, as over the last 3 years, I'd snapped 20 600 odd pics & would spend the next decade revising quake posts.

Coda:

January 2014. Pavement graffiti, spray-painted by contractors sorting infrastructure: many lines, arrows, numbers (many with decimal points) words & letters, including W, H2O, PWR, PW, P, POD, LV, 11KV, S, SW, T/C, Telecom, TC, ENTER, END. A common symbol was a circle with a line through it. Others were white, right angles forming a rectangle, or yellow, parallel, dotted lines signifying areas of asphalt to be cut.

Recently, I'd trekked a section of Glandovey Rd between Idris Rd traffic circle & Memorial Ave. Pavements & roadsides were full of contractor symbols beside Ditch Witch drills, concrete cutters, mini diggers & many orange, Hi-Vis vested workmen. I'd counted 8 spray-painted, symbol colours signifying different underground pipes, cables & areas to be excavated: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, white, while dodging orange, plastic, road cones & pavement threat signs ordering me to use the pavement on the other side of the road.

One morning, contractors closed both pavements, barricaded by orange, plastic, road cones & threat signs & when I crossed the road & looked at the Traffic Management bloke he shook his hard-hatted head in exasperation & embarrassment at all the contractors & traffic activity around him. By the next day he's sorted out pedestrian safety & road cones, with one pavement safe for pedestrians, the other banned. Glandovey Rd wasn't the only graffiti polluted & contractor clogged road I trekked.

Lettering was inconsistent depending on which contractor did what job. In addition to some of the above spray-painted lines, numbers, colours, words & letters, on Garreg Rd & Ilam Rd I saw E/E with associated direction triangle, SWE, G, XS. Also TELSTRA, London St; GAS, Bealey Ave; CHORUS FIBRE, JOINT, B, each circled, Papanui Rd, Harewood Rd;  DROP, WASTE WATER, WASTE H20, Greers Rd... That sort of graffiti was found all over Christchurch where road & pavement excavations progressed. 

Many SCIRT & Council excavations had warning boards about worker safety behind cordons: Slow Down, 30 km/h speed limit... but few warnings about driver, cyclist & pedestrian safety.

10.01.14. 3.33pm, M4.2 quake, 9km depth, 20km W of Christchurch (GeoNet). Jiggled my pc monitor while I edited & thumped my chair, a kick up the arse.

Greers Rd work, SCIRT / City Care, 16.01.14 letter:

WORKS NOTICE - NIGHT WORK

We are working on the video inspection (CCTV) of the wastewater and / or storm water pipes in your area. This inspection is to determine the extent of repairs required to the pipes as a result of the earthquakes.

We expect to be in your area from the 16th January to 20th January 2014.

Some of this inspection work needs to be carried out at night. There may be noise from the pipe cleaning trucks and flashing lights associated with this work.

We appreciate this work may cause some disturbance to you. We apologize for this and request your patience while we undertake this essential work.

This work is being undertaken by PipeWorks with the work being managed by a City Care representative... Please contact... if you have any questions in relation to these works.

Thank you, 

City Care CCTV

"Disturbance" was CERA understatement, as citizens who'd had such inspections complained about back-blasts of explosive shit in their toilets & bathrooms during inspections. SCIRT / CERA took its time 3 years post 22.02.11 Killer Quake, as plumbers had recommended such inspections post 04.09.10 Darfield Quake.

Armagh St: 2016. The Piano, Centre for Music & Arts would open on a bit of the Performing Arts Precinct, which would stay a shingled mess for years, hemmed in by The Piano, New Library / Turanga, new Convention Centre / Te Pae & revamped Crowne Plaza Hotel (old Forsyth Barr).

Sept 2019. While Leah attended a literacy conference at Rydges Hotel, Latimer Sq, I trekked the CBD for 3 days checking slow rebuilds. Manchester St, Shands Emporium wall plaque:

                                                       SHAND'S
                                                       circa 1860

                              RE-OPENED 22nd SEPTEMBER 2017

             Moved from its original site at 88 Hereford St, Shand's has been
                          extensively repaired, strengthened and restored.

                     It is the oldest commercial building in the central city.

         As a result of the 22 February 2011 earthquake Shand's was extensively
           damaged. It was rescued in 2015 by the Christchurch Heritage Trust.

Heritage New Zealand, Category 1 listing. Christchurch City Council Group 1 listing.

Trustees...

A notice on Shand's front door read:

WHAKAMANA: NZ's Cannabis Institute

fok a mana:

To restore the mana of/or in one word whakamana is Maori for empowerment.

For the past 80 years Cannabis has been at the forefront of of the failed war on drugs -
prohibition propaganda politics and big business have convinced billions of people that this
beautiful plant is evil.

The NZ Institute for cannabis education research and development, WHAKAMANA has been
established to right that wrong and to help bring cannabis back to once more hold its rightful
position as one of humanities [sic] greatest natural resources.

Whakamana Museum Limited is seeking to raise $2 million to establish a cannabis centre of
excellence in 2 of Christchurch's oldest (150yrs+) most historic, and iconic buildings; the Trinity
Church (Trinity) and Shands Emporium (Hemporium) on the corner of Worcester and Manchester Street in the heart of the CBD...

Please join us at www.cannabisinstitute.ac.nz where you can sign up for our newsletter and hop on this waka.

WHAKAMANA

That Cannabis Institute idea soon fizzled.

Content & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See Mural poem honours quake victim (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Arts infusion adds SPARK (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Restart retailers in dark on leases (The Press / Stuff Co).

See $217m metro sport facility launched (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Artist resurrects red zone houses (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Opportunity springs from disaster (The Press / Stuff Co). 

See Charming nutter saves Shands Emporium (The Press / Stuff Co).

See Rebirth built on loyalty to home (The Press / Stuff Co). 

See Business reflects on Canty in 2013 (The Press / Stuff Co).