Manchester St was fucked:
1. Pre-quakes Manchester St, red light district: grubby, brick buildings, sleazy shops. Late night whores solicited business near Manchester St Bridge.
2. 2010-2011 quakes fucked Manchester St, leaving many broken-buildings. Subsequent quakes 2012-13 caused more damages.
3. CERA demolitions over the last two years fucked Manchester St leaving demolition wastelands.
Today CERA opened the last Manchester St red-zone section between Worcester St & Tuam St crossings. North & south Manchester St, both ends of those crossings were opened for traffic for several months. Today's opening allowed one-way northbound traffic from Moorhouse Ave & some two-way bits either side of the newly opened section. We became used to congestion & detours during CERA's regime!
4. Last year CERA touted it's CCDU Blueprint wanting to revamp Manchester St to Madras St as East Frame parkland (Rauora Park) after many demolitions. CERA would take East Frame properties & demolish most taken buildings to make a vast demolition-area east of Manchester St. That wouild become Margaret Mahy Family Playground & Rauora Park. CCDU wanted to increase the value of properties in CERA's core-CBD west of Manchester St. Never mind CERA making low acquisition offers to affected East Frame commercial property-owners, some offers less than half the Rateable Value of the property!
Although CBD commercial property-owners would build new shops & offices in CCDU's core-CBD, CERA planned few residential properties in the CBD. Any post quake CBD residential properties built would be expensive. Who would buy a pokey, new, CBD apartment for NZ$500 000 when better value was available in the suburbs close to malls & free parking?
08.09.18. Manchester St example: On a post-quake trek, I would find a Fletcher Living pamphlet touting ONE CENTRAL, BEDFORD APARTMENTS, SOAK UP THE EXCITEMENT OF THE CITY. Fletcher Living would build a five-storey apartment block, Madras St / Lichfield St near IRD's abandoned multi-storey: 45 one or two bedroom apartments, little boxes without garages, cost range $375 000 to $669 000. The smallest, one bedroom flat, excludingg balcony was 50 square metres. The largest, two bedroom apartment, excluding balcony was 86 square metres. Across Madras St, CERA's Blueprint Stadium would be built. Parking hassles for new flats!
CERA's East Frame using taxpayers' money to take green Frame land meant many demolitions replaced by flora. The Crown used taxpayers' money, speculating on Christchurch's liquefucked, CBD land. The excuse, Christchurch citizens wanted a City in a Garden in Council's post-quake Share an Idea scheme for Christchurch rebuild. Meanwhile NZ National government sold other state assets while pressuring Christchurch Council to sell assets to pay for CERA's Blueprint precincts.
Never mind CCDU's South Frame between Tuam St & St Asaph St where CERA also wanted to take properties & demolish them for flower!power!
5. CERA / CCDU / NZ National government wanted to widen Manchester St for separate bus, vehicle, cycle lanes. CERA's document "An Accessible City" Pg 13:
"A soft edge between the Core & the East Frame will be created by converting Manchester St between Armagh St & Lichfield St into a boulevard [in Rauora Park]. This will separate public transport & other vehicles, provide access to business & ensure a high quality connection between the Core & the East Frame. In addition to footpaths & on-road cycling on Manchester St itself, cycling & walking paths will be developed in the Frame."
But pre-quakes traffic / bus congestion on Colombo St to ~ from the Bus Exchange would be "converted" to Manchester St congestion, as the post-quakes Bus Interchange would be built on the old, multi-storey Council demolition-site, Tuam St, between Colombo St & Manchester St.
Asterisks * on pics indicated East Frame or South Frame properties for Crown land speculation.
Cambridge Tce: I parked near Manchester St Bridge where a whore solicited. "How's business?" I asked.
"Slow," she said.
"Will business pick up like pre-quakes?"
"Nah!"
Manchester St: Prostitution was the only business open during my trek that sunny afternoon. All other Manchester St businesses up to Tuam St crossing, if not demolished were SMF-cordoned ghosts.
Cambridge Tce to Madras St Bridge: Thesophy building gone, demolished. I saw a new tilt-slab construction going up on Cambridge Tce near Madras St Bridge. Across Avon River on Oxford Tce, I saw no sign of CCDU's Blueprint playground, touted by CERA. (Margaret Mahy Family playground would open December 2015).
Manchester St Bridge: Quakes horizontally-rotated bridge-spans several centimetres, leaving buckling on the footpath at one abutment-join. Across the bridge in the red-zone-CBD, I saw that Retour Restaurant's copper-dome still lay on Avon River bank, sans demolished- building. (2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be refurbished with the copper-dome atop again). Across Cambridge Tce I saw PGC demolition-site where 18 people died in 22 February 2011 Quake.
Manchester St: Over past months, as I'd seen many demolition-sites & would see many more, I noted coner demolitions on my Manchester Street trek from Manchester St Bridge to Tuam St crossing. Many abandoned shops were gone, demolished. I saw sides or backsides of neighbouring red-zone ghosts, or dusty demolition-wastelands.
Notes:
Manchester St / Oxford Tce: Northeast corner, Luneys ghost behind a cordon-fence. CERA would demolish Luneys for East Frame's Margaret Mahy Family Playground. West side Oxford Tce: Red zone PO, behind a SMF-cordon. Neighbouring ruins were later demolished.
Manchester St / Armagh St: Northwest corner, three corner demolition-sites, SMF-cordoned, NZDF checkpoint. Southwest corner, Verkerks ruin awaited demolition, SMF-cordoned.
Southwards down Manchester St: East-side, Orion building would survive the quakes, SMF-cordoned. West-side, I saw SMF-cordoned & abandoned City Seafoods Market & abandoned YHA. Both would survive the quakes.
Manchester St / Gloucester St: Northeast corner, multi-storey carpark ruin. CERA would demolish the ruin for E Frame / Rauora Park. I saw three corner demolition-sites. Sampan House Restaurant would survive the quakes below looming Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel, Gloucester St. West along Gloucester St, New Regent St & I saw Isaac Theatre Royal restoration.
A Manchester St sign:
TEMPORARY
ROAD CLOSURE
Gloucester St Closed
between Manchester St
and Colombo St
from 8am to 8pm
19/04/13 to 21/04/13
For info...
14.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, W view, Gloucester St. Isaac Theatre Royal & New Regent St restorations right, core CBD red zone
South down Manchester St: I saw SMF-cordoned demolition sites both sides of the street. Demolition-sites eastwards included NewstalkZB implosion-site till Latimer Sq. I saw Morleys House ruin & The Bicycle Thief ruin by Latimer Sq. CERA would buy & demolish Morleys House & The Bicycle Thief for its East Frame / Rauora Park. (2021. Worcester Terraces, tilt-slab apartments would be built on The Bicycle Thief & Morleys House demolition-sites, opposite Latimer Sq). I saw carparks on demolition-sites.
I saw a scruffy, orange mural on Cathedral Junction side-wall. I saw Gap Filler mini-golf on a western demolition-site by two food-trailer shops: a Serious Sandwich van & a caravan office for red-zone workers. So far, Gap Filler, using rubbish, had filled demolition-sites with temporary junk projects & junk art. It would've been better to grass demolition-sites & plant trees to lay hazardous concrete silicon- dust & asbestos-dust. Never mind CAC: Copper, Arsenic, Chromium dust from treated wood & lead-dust pollution from old paints. And bacterial spores from dry sewage. I saw fucked Manchester St covered in thick demolition-dust.
14.04.13. Manchester St, S view, Gap Filler mini golf, food trailers & abandoned bldgs: D&A College & Heritage Hotel middle, Cathedral Junction with mural right, core CBD red zone. The bldgs would survive the quakes
14.04.13. Manchester St, S view, E Frame, Westende House rebuild left, abandoned Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant middle, abandoned D&A College right, core CBD red zone. *Left side of street, E Frame, due for demolitions. Right side of street, core CBD red zone. Brand new Westende House would be demolished by CERA for its E Frame
14.04.13. Serious Sandwich van on demolition site for red zone workers, Manchester St. Abandoned bldgs behind: Heritage Hotel & Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel left, Cathedral Junction with orange mural right, core CBD red zone. The bldgs would survive the quakes
Manchester St / Worcester St: Northeast corner, Westende House on the 4 September 2010 Quake's ground-zero demolition-site, where media used lurid red, back-lighting, reporting of the first M7.1 quake. CERA would buy brand new Westende House & demolish it for its East Frame widening of Manchester St. Southwest corner, behind a SMF-cordon I saw abandoned Octagon Restaurant / Trinity Church awaiting restoration. I saw two corner demolition-sites.
August 2019. I saw a dirty, dusty, carpark on Westende House demolition-site. What a waste!
14.04.13. *Brand new Westende House rebuild due for E Frame demolition by CERA, Manchester St / Worcester St
Heritage-hailers wanted to spend millions restoring old Trinity Church, older than Christ Church Cathedral ruin, latter day Octagon Restaurant, tower demolished. Derelict Trinity Church, its gaping windows & boarded walls looked like a seedy brothel. 2019. CookieTime founder Mike Mayell & lackeys wanted to turn Trinity Church & relocated Shands Emporium next door into a Cannabis Museum, coat-tailing current medical marijuana debate. That idea fizzled. 2023. Trinity Church restoration would be stalled due to poor funding by Heritage-hailers.
Christchurch CBD was red-zone-cordoned for two years so far, including red-zone-ruins, old & new businesses & churches, all guarded by red-zone NZDF-checkpoints.
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Trinity Church / Octagon Restaurant, sans tower, due for restoration, Manchester St / Worcester St, core CBD red zone
Southwards down Manchester St: I saw several demolition-sites both sides SMF-cordoned, including Druids Building ruin west side & The Civic ruin east side. Luke once played drums in a schools' band competition at The Civic. CERA would demolish those ruins.
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St view, demolition sites & abandoned bldgs between Worcester St & Hereford St crossings, core CBD red zone
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Abandoned Chinese Restaurant & Bistro, Manchester St, core CBD red zone. Feb 1915, the restaurant would become Mexico restaurant. Quake survivor bldgs behind, would stay abandoned, derelict for years. High-rise behind right: Millenium Hotel / Distinction Hotel would survive quakes.
Manchester St / Hereford St: Northeast corner, SMF-cordoned, Bradley Nuttal House ghost would be demolished for CERA's East Frame. Across Hereford St, I saw two more demolition-sites for CERA's East Frame. Northwest corner, SMF-cordoned, I saw the Chinese Restaurant & Bistro ghost. February 2015, the Chinese Restaurant would become the Mexico restaurant. Leah & I would walk out one night due to ear-splitting music.
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *Abandoned Bradley Nuttal House (demolished) NE Manchester St / Hereford St. All bldgs due for CERA's E Frame demolitions
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *Abandoned Bradley Nuttal House (would be demolished for CERA's E Frame) Manchester St / Hereford St. Latimer Sq trees beyond. Reopened Calendar Girls right (would relocate closer to Christchurch Casino). All bldgs due for CERA's E Frame demolitions
Bradley Nuttal House ghost, SMF-cordoned view: I saw more ghosts & demolition-sites eastwards down Hereford St to Latimer Sq & reopened Calendar Girls. CERA would take those buildings for its Blueprint East Frame / Rauora Park. Calender Girls would relocate closer to Christchurch Casino.
Westwards along Hereford St: I saw an NZDF-checkpoint's wooden-hut, SMF-cordoned in the red zone. I saw a green, plastic sewage-tank across Hereford St. Red-zone ghosts loomed beyond, above an inverted U shaped truck-wash made to lay dust.
The checkpoint's threat-sign:
NO
PUBLIC
ACCESS
PAST THIS POINT
CERA PASSES ONLY
2022. I saw board advertising East Frame development along Manchester St, between Worcester St & Hereford St:
MANCHESTER SQUARE
APARTMENTS
From $649,000
TERRACES
From $849,000
COMMERCIAL
From $429,000
14.04.13. NO PUBLIC ACCESS. Steel mesh fence cordon. NZDF checkpoint hut & portaloo, Manchester St / Hereford St. All bldgs abandoned, core CBD red zone
Manchester St east side. More ghosts: I saw SMF-cordoned Rockshop's & Manchester Courts' demolition-sites. I saw abandoned Sullivans & Boogie Nights & Shooters with broken windows. Green-walled Shooters sported red & white Steinlager advert boards, round the corner on an east Cashel St demolition-site between Shooters & Oaks Smartstay Apartments. 2013. Boogie Nights & Shooters would be demolished for CERA's East Frame / Rauora Park.
14.04.13. NO ENTRY. Steel mesh fence cordon. *Abandoned Manchester St bldgs would be demolished for CERA's E Frame / Raoura Park, between Hereford St & Cashel St crossings
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *E Frame bldgs, due for demolitions, Manchester St / Cashel St. Shooters left, Oaks Homestay Apartments behind, IR bldg right behind. Shooters would be demolished, 2013. IR bldg would survive the quakes
Manchester St Wwest side, more ghosts: SMF-cordoned demolition sites & Kensington House, including abandoned Topkapi Turkish Kebab & Comics & an Optometrist & Christchurch Idol Karaoke. The latter's side-wall was stripped off showing weathering rooms. Kensington House owners would restored the building. At the next-door's demolition-site I saw Nikau office hut on Cashel St corner.
14.04.13. Orange, plastic, fence cordon, steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, SW view, abandoned Kensington House right, abandoned Te Wanaga Aotearoa left, core CBD red zone. Both bldgs would survive the quakes. 2021. Te Wanaga Aotearoa had been refurbished as a multi-storey hotel with live palm trees on flat rooftop cnrs, named The Muse Art Hotel
Manchester St was fucked! I named ghosts I remembered, the majority of sites I saw were demolition-sites all along. Kensington House, west side of Manchester St & Sullivans & Boogie Nights & Shooters east side of Manchester St were all ruined. Yet CERA would only demolish the east side, not the west side, as the former was in CERA's Blueprint East Frame, the latter in CERA's core-CBD.
Manchester St / Cashel St: Northeast corner, behind the SMF-cordoned Shooters ghost, I saw three corner demolition-sites including Malbas on the southeast corner & Holiday Inn multi-storey on the southwest. Beyond Holiday Inn's demolition-site in the red-zone, I saw multi-storey Westpac &multi-storey Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition-sites, one each side of Cashel St. A workman wearing an orange Hi-Vis jacket opened & closed a cordon-fence-gate, allowing Nikau truck access to haul rubble from Holiday Inn while two red-zone diggers dumped the rubble. 2016. Multi-storey offices, Grand Central Building, Cashel St, would be completed on Hotel Grand Chancellor's demolition-site.
14.04.13. Rubble, yellow digger, steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, W view, core CBD red zone demolitions along Cashel St towards The Crossing by Colombo St: Holiday Inn demolition site left, Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition site right. Trees in Restart Cashel Mall beyond
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St / Cashel St crossing view, core CBD red zone Holiday Inn & Westpac demolition sites. Core CBD red zone High St, abandoned bldgs beyond
14.04.13. Manchester St, N view, NIKAU dump truck leaving Holiday Inn demolition site, at Cashel St crossing. Kensington House, core CBD red zone left. *All bldgs due for CERA's E Frame demolitions right
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St / Cashel St crossing, S view, *Majestic House due for CERA's E Frame demolition left. Core CBD red zone, Holiday Inn demolition site & abandoned Te Wanaga Aotearoa right. 2021. Te Wanaga Aotearoa had been refurbished as a multi-storey hotel with live palm trees on flat roof cnrs, named The Muse Art Hotel
14.04.13. Manchester St view, core CBD red zone, Holiday Inn demolition site. Abandoned Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel & Heritage Hotel right, quake survivors
14.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. *Abandoned, E Frame bldgs due for demolitions, Manchester St / Cashel St crossing
Southwards down Manchester St: I saw demolition-sites both sides of street to Bedford Row junction.
Manchester St / Bedford Row: Northeast coner, SMF-cordoned demolition-sites stretched along Bedford Row to Madras St. Ditto south side of Bedford Row. There were few buildings left in Bedford Row. Southeast corner, an old brick, blue multi-storey ghost, facade propped by four layers of shipping-containers. Top floor of the blue-facade was toppled, exposing rooms while tatty black-plastic fluttered in the breeze. CERA would take those sites & demolish them for its Blueprint East Frame.
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *Demolition sites & E Frame, bldgs due for demolitions, Manchester St / Bedford Row
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *Manchester St view, Bedford Row, E Frame, bldgs due for demolitions. IR bldg beyond would survive the quakes
Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St crossings: Northeast corner, SMF-cordoned Majestic House ghost awaited demolition for CERA's East Frame. Pre-quakes, teenager Jake attended church services at Majestic House. Lichfield St was the divide between CERA's Blueprint East Frame & South Frame.
14.04.13. *Majestic House due for E Frame demolition, Manchester St / Lichfield St
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *E Frame, Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St crossing. Majestic House left due for demolition. Alice in Videoland (old PO) middle, stacked shipping containers propping facade right
14.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. *Manchester St / Lichfield St, E & S Frame bldgs due for demolitions. Lichfield St was the divide between CERA's Blueprint E Frame & S Frame. *S Frame, ANZ Bank Chambers & Poplar Lanes precinct demolition sites middle
14.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. *E Frame, Majestic House due for demolition, Manchester St / Lichfield St
14.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. *Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St crossing. S Frame bldgs due for demolitions
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St view, stacked shipping container cordon. *S Frame, High St demolitions & *E Frame, Majestic House, awaiting demolition, Lichfield St
14.04.13. Manchester St view, Lichfield St bldgs due for *E Frame demolitions
Manchester St crossings eastwards: I saw many SMF-cordoned demolition-sites including domed ANZ Bank Chambers. Poplar Lanes boutique shops & gastro-pubs between Lichfield St & Tuam St were all gone from Manchester St to Poplar Ln. Poplar Mews where Jake pre-quakes flatted was also gone.
CERA's demolition-sites were so vast, I saw eastwards from Manchester St to NG Gallery, Madras St by Turners & Growers site. I saw southwards across High St to Alice in Videoland (old PO) Tuam St. CERA wanted to take those eastwards & southwards demolition-sites & buildings, including NG Gallery, for its East Frame & South Frame & its Blueprint 35 000 seater, roofed, rugby stadium on Turners & Growers site.
14.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. *Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St crossing. E Frame & S Frame bldgs due for demolitions. ANZ Bank Chambers & Poplar Lanes precinct demolition sites middle
14.04.13. *Manchester St view, High St. S Frame bldgs due for demolitions. Alice in Videoland (old PO) right
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *Artist sketching Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St crossing. S Frame left. Core CBD red zone right. Port Hills beyond
Manchester St / High St, : By Nucleus sculpture, I saw SMF-cordoned, multi-storey, Te Wanaga Aotearoa ghost. Weedy demolition-sites on west Lichfield St coners, including new steel-rebars lying on the red-zone footpath. Te Wanaga Aotearoa would survive the quakes, restored as The Muse Art Hotel in 2019.
A man sat on the footpath by High St SMF-cordon, doing a charcoal sketch of Manchester St east-side. Like me, he documented CERA destruction. There were other passersby & pedestrians & vehicles. No smiles, just grim faces & sadness.
14.04.13. Manchester St view, Holiday Inn rubble, back of Te Wanaga Aotearoa bldg, core CBD red zone
14.04.13. Abandoned Te Wanaga Aotearoa bldg, Manchester St, core CBD red zone. The bldg would survive the quakes & be restored as The Muse Art Hotel, 2019
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. N view, Nucleus sculpture, abandoned Te Wanaga Aotearoa bldg, High St / Manchester St, core CBD red zone. Nucleus sculpture would survive the quakes. Te Wanaga Aotearoa would be revamped as The Muse Art Hotel, 2019
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, SW view, Nucleus sculpture, abandoned bldgs, core CBD red zone between Lichfield St & Tuam St
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, SW view, High St abandoned bldgs, core CBD red zone
14.04.13. NW view, Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St crossing. Abandoned Te Wanaga Aotearoa bldg & abandoned hotels behind in core CBD red zone. Te Wanaga Aotearoa would be revamped as The Muse Art Hotel, 2019
Manchester St / High St: Palm trees still stood both sides of High St crossing. I saw SMF-cordoned demolition-sites all along the east-side of Manchester St till a brick facade propped up by five layers of shipping-containers near Tuam St crossing. CERA wanted those sites for it Blueprint South Frame.
West-side Manchester / High St crossing: I saw SMF-cordoned Nucleus sculpture & Holiday Inn demolition-site again. Northwest down partly closed / recently opened High St, beyond red-zone demolition-sites I saw distant red-zoned Cathedral Sq.
14.04.13. NO PUBLIC ACCESS. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, NW view, High St to Cathedral Sq. Leighs construction site offices left, abandoned, core CBD red zone bldgs beyond
14.04.13. Manchester St / High St, NW view, Holiday Inn demolition site & core CBD red zone bldgs, incl abandoned Cathedral Sq hotels: Millennium Hotel / Distinction Hotel left, Heritage Hotel middle
14.04.13. Orange, plastic, road cones, steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, W view, Lichfield St, abandoned bldgs, core CBD red zone
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St / Lichfield St, W view, demolition sites, abandoned bldgs, core CBD red zone
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, W view, demolition sites, abandoned Struthers Ln bldgs, core CBD red zone
West-side Manchester St & Struthers Ln junction: I saw SMF-cordoned, weedy demolition-sites from High St / Lichfield St crossings to Tuam St crossing. Struthers Ln demolitions revealed Sol Sq ghosts, like Le Petite Croix. Southwards beyond Struthers Ln: I saw old Peaches & Cream demolition-site to Tuam St crossing.
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St, W view, demolition sites, abandoned Struthers Ln bldgs, core CBD red zone
Manchester St / Lichfield St / High St crossings: Looking south over the vast demolition-site, I saw part-demolished Odeon Theatre & its shipping-container-propped facade on Tuam St & new EPIC Innovation, Manchester St / Tuam St.
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. Manchester St / Tuam St demolition site. Opp cnr, stacked shipping containers propping Odeon Theater facade, core CBD red zone
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *S Frame, stacked shipping containers propping a facade, Manchester St / Tuam St. Opp cnr EPIC Innovation post quake bldg. Port Hills beyond
14.04.13. Steel mesh fence cordon. *S Frame, stacked shipping containers propping a facade, Manchester St
Black & blue EPIC Innovation rebuild struggled to attract tenants for its second phase build, as it claimed land prices were rising in the CBD. That contradicted CCDU boss Isaacs, who claimed CBD land prices were low due to quakes, so CCDU could offer peanuts to East Frame land- owners & the East Frame would then boost core-CBD land values. So much for the CBD property market balancing itself without NZ National govertment's CBD takings.
Manchester St / Tuam St: Northeast corner, I saw that behind a SMF-cordon, the Two Fat Indians Restaurant ghost had an old Polson's Decorators & Signwriters advert on a corrugated-iron side-wall which was revealed by another demolition. Demolitions revealed hidden, old adverts on walls all over the CBD.
Round Tuam St corner, I saw a SMF-cordoned row of ruins on High St, including McKenzie Willis facade, due for slow restoration. High St ruins were an eyesore ever since the 22 February 2011 Quake. Most of those ruins would be restored by 2019, the area named Salt District.
14.04.13. *Abandoned Two Fat Indians Restaurant, due for S Frame demolition, Manchester St / Tuam St
14.04.13. *Manchester St / Tuam St view, S Frame, McKenzie Willis restoration, other High St ruins
*Trekked Manchester St. 134 images.
Once CERA bought East Frame land & turned it into Rauora Park, CERA intended widening Manchester St for separate bus-lanes & vehicle-lanes & cycle-lanes. Returning to my car, I saw the whore was gone. A Week later, Monday 22.04.13, The Press article: "Sex workers return to old haunt."
EQC Truths Reckoning:
Friday 19.04.13. EQC Truths blog: "Today's Bombshell: EQC makes $100,000,000 in Over payments." An email describing over-payments to claimants: "There has been $100 million NZD paid out in error by EQC..."
Saturday 20.04.13. Weekend Press headline: "Overpaid claims of $100m by EQC revealed." Overpayment details regarding 3 300 properties in an EQC email leaked to The Press. Neither The Press nor EQC Truths blogger offered solutions to EQC's dysfunction. Like rotten managements revealed by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into collapsed buildings & the Coroners Inquest into deaths, EQC Truths blogger & The Press revealed poor EQC management.
Coda:
Saturday 08.09.18. I trekked Manchester St again & saw signs of renewal: Abandoned Christchurch Academy awaited restoration. I saw rebuilds on the opposite side of the road. National Library was still a demolition-site. I was again solicited by a whore on Salisbury St crossing. St Lukes Church was still a demolition-site.
Manchester St Bridge: New tarseal. Retour Restaurant copper dome was still lying on Avon River bank, white-plastic covered. The new Margaret Mahy Family Playground was lively. Rauora Park in the new East Frame was grassed. YHA had survived the quakes.
Manchester St: I saw many new traffic-lights at every crossing. Despite new, wider footpaths, Manchester St was still two-laned. The new road-lanes were no wider than pre-quakes' road-lanes. More busses were using the road from the new Bus Interchange. I saw more, new bus- stops on Manchester St. New Westende's demolition-site was a dusty, shingle carpark. Octagon Restaurant / Trinity Church was still unrestored. Relocated Shands Emporium next door was restored, but closed. The scruffy orange mural on Cathedral Junction wall was faded.
Kensington House was restored. By the Nucleus sculpture, multi-storey Te Wanaga Aotearoa was still abandoned. High St crossing was still blighted by demolition-sites & brick-ghosts, like Struthers Ln ghosts. Tuam St: I saw part-demolished Odeon Theatre was tidied, its facade was still propped by stacked shipping-containers blocking Tuam St traffic. EPIC Innovation was still ugly. St Asaph St crossing: the drawing room was closed. Manchester St businesses from Tuam St to Moorhouse Ave were thriving.
Contents & pics Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.
See Overpaid claims of $100m by EQC revealed. (The Press / Stuff Co).
See Fletcher Living, Bedford Apartments.
See Christchurch stadium the big winner from Council's plans for government funding (The Press / Stuff Co).
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