Manchester St was fucked:
1. Pre-quakes Manchester St, red light district: grubby, brick bldgs, sleazy shops. Late night whores solicited business near Manchester St Bridge.
2. 2010-2011 quakes fucked Manchester St, leaving many broken bldgs. Subsequent quakes 2012-13 caused more damages.
3. CERA demolitions over the last 2 years fucked Manchester St leaving demolition wastelands.
Today CERA opened the last Manchester St red zone section, between Worcester St & Tuam St crossings. N & S Manchester St, both ends of those crossings were opened for traffic, several months. Today's opening allowed one-way northbound traffic from Moorhouse Ave & some two-way bits either side of the newly opened section, congestion & detours we'd become used to during CERA's regime.
4. Last year CERA touted it's CCDU Blueprint, wanting to revamp Manchester St to Madras St as E Frame parkland (Rauora Park) after many demolitions. CERA would take E Frame properties, demolish most taken bldgs, turn a vast demo area, E of Manchester St, into Margaret Mahy Family Playground & Rauora Park. CCDU wanted to increase the value of properties in CERA touted core CBD, W of Manchester St. Never mind CERA making low acquisition offers to affected E 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 flat 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 5 storey apartment block, Madras St / Lichfield St near IRD multi-storey ghost: 45 one or two bedroom flats, little boxes, without garages, cost range $375 000 to $669 000. The smallest, one bedroom flat, excl balcony, was 50 square metres. The largest, 2 bedroom flat, excl balcony, was 86 square metres. Across Madras St, CERA's Blueprint Stadium would be built. Parking hassles for new flats!
CERA's E Frame, using taxpayers' money to take green Frame land, meant many bldg 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 govt sold other state assets, while pressuring Christchurch Council to sell assets to pay for NZ National govt's / CERA's Blueprint precincts.
Never mind CCDU's S Frame, between Tuam St & St Asaph St, where CERA also wanted to take properties & demolish them for flower power.
5. CERA / CCDU / NZ National govt 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 on the old, multi-storey Council ghost site, Tuam St, between Colombo St & Manchester St.
Asterisks * on pics indicated E Frame or S Frame properties for Crown land speculation.
Cambridge Tce: Parked near Manchester St Bridge where a whore solicited. "How's business?" I asked.
"Slow," she said.
"Will business will 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 steel mesh fence cordoned ghosts.
Cambridge Tce to Madras St Bridge: Thesophy bldg gone, demolished. New tilt-slab construction, going up on Cambridge Tce near Madras St Bridge. Across Avon River on Oxford Tce, no sign of CCDU's Blueprint playground, touted by CERA. (Margaret Mahy Family playground would open Dec 2015).
Manchester St Bridge: Quakes horizontally rotated bridge spans several centimetres, leaving buckling on the pavement at one abutment join. Across the bridge in CBD red zone, Retour Restaurant's copper dome still lay on Avon River bank, sans demolished bldg. (2020-21. Edmonds Band Rotunda would be refurbished with the copper dome atop again). Across Cambridge Tce PGC demolition site, where 18 people died in 22.02.11 Killer Quake.
Manchester St: Over past months, as I'd seen many demolition sites & would see many more, I noted cnr demolitions on my Manchester Street trek from Manchester St Bridge to Tuam St crossing. Many shop ghosts, gone, demolished, showed sides or backsides of neighbouring red zone ghosts, or dusty demolition wastelands.
Notes:
Manchester St / Oxford Tce: NE cnr, Luneys ghost, behind cordon fence. CERA would demolish Luneys for E Frame, Margaret Mahy Family Playground. W side Oxford Tce: Red zone PO, behind steel mesh fence cordon. Neighbour ghosts, later demolished.
Manchester St / Armagh St: NW cnr, 3 cnr demo sites, steel mesh fence cordoned, NZDF checkpoint. SW cnr, Verkerks ghost awaited demolition, steel mesh fence cordoned.
S down Manchester St: E side, Orion bldg would survive quakes, steel mesh fence cordoned. W side, steel mesh fence cordoned, abandoned City Seafoods Market, abandoned YHA, both would survive quakes.
Manchester St / Gloucester St: NE cnr, multi-storey carpark ghost. CERA would demolish the bldg for E Frame / Rauora Park. 3 cnr demolition sites. Sampan House Restaurant survived quakes below looming Pacific Tower / Rendezvous Hotel, Gloucester St. W along Gloucester St, New Regent St & Isaac Theatre Royal restoration.
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
S down Manchester St: Steel mesh fence cordoned, demolition sites both sides of street. Demolition sites E, incl NewstalkZB implosion site, till Latimer Sq. Morleys House ghost & The Bicycle Thief ghost by Latimer Sq. CERA would buy & demolish Morleys House & The Bicycle Thief for its E Frame / Rauora Park. (2021. Worcester Terraces, tilt-slab apartments would be built on The Bicycle Thief & Morleys House demolition sites, opp Latimer Sq). Carparks on demolition sites.
Scruffy, orange mural on Cathedral Junction side wall. Gap Filler mini golf on a W demolition site by 2 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. 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: NE cnr, Westende House on 04.09.10 Darfield Quake, 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 E Frame widening of Manchester St. SW cnr, behind a steel mesh fence cordon, abandoned Octagon Restaurant / Trinity Church awaited restoration. 2 cnr demo sites.
Aug 2019. Dirty, dusty, carpark on Westende House demo site. What a waste!
14.04.13. *Brand new Westende House rebuild due for E Frame demolition by CERA, Manchester St / Worcester St
Heritage buffs wanted to spend millions restoring old Trinity Church, older than Christ Church Cathedral ghost, 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 buffs.
Christchurch CBD was red zone cordoned, 2 years so far, including red zone ghosts, 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
S down Manchester St: Several demolition sites both sides, steel mesh fence cordoned, including Druids Building ghost, W side & The Civic ghost, E side. Luke once played drums in a schools' band competition at The Civic. CERA would demolish those bldgs.
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: NE cnr, steel mesh fence cordoned, Bradley Nuttal House ghost would be demolished for CERA's E Frame. Across Hereford St, 2 more demo sites for CERA's E Frame. NW cnr, steel mesh fence cordoned, Chinese Restaurant & Bistro ghost. Feb 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, steel mesh fence cordoned view: more ghosts & demolition sites E down Hereford St to Latimer Sq & reopened Calendar Girls. CERA would take those bldgs for its Blueprint E Frame / Rauora Park. Calender Girls would relocate closer to Christchurch Casino.
W along Hereford St: NZDF checkpoint, wooden hut, steel mesh fence cordon, red zone. Green, plastic, sewage tank across Hereford St. Red zone ghosts loomed beyond, above an inverted U shaped truck wash, to lay dust.
Checkpoint threat sign:
NO
PUBLIC
ACCESS
PAST THIS POINT
CERA PASSES ONLY
2022. Board would advertise E 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 E side. More ghosts: Steel mesh fence cordoned Rockshop & Manchester Courts demolition sites; abandoned Sullivans, Boogie Nights, Shooters, with broken window. Green walled Shooters sported red & white Steinlager ad boards. Round the cnr on E Cashel St, demolition site between Shooters & Oaks Smartstay Apartments. 2013. Boogie Nights & Shooters would be demolished for CERA's E 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 W side, more ghosts: Steel mesh fence cordon, demolition sites & Kensington House, incl abandoned Topkapi Turkish Kebab, Comics, an Optometrist, Christchurch Idol Karaoke. Latter's side wall, stripped off, showing weathering rooms. Kensington House owners would restored the bldg. Next door demolition site: Nikau office hut, Cashel St cnr.
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 fucked: I named ghosts I remembered, majority of sites were demolition sites all along. Kensington House, W side of Manchester St & Sullivans, Boogie Nights, Shooters, E side of Manchester St all trashed. Yet CERA would demolish only E side, not W side, as the former was in CERA's Blueprint E Frame, the latter in CERA's core CBD.
Manchester St / Cashel St: NE cnr, behind steel mesh fence cordoned Shooters ghost; 3 cnr demolition sites, incl Malbas, SE cnr & Holiday Inn multi-storey, SW cnr. Beyond Holiday Inn demolition site, in the red zone: Westpac & Hotel Grand Chancellor demolition sites, one each side of Cashel St. Orange, Hi-Vis jacketed workman opened & closed a cordon fence gate, allowing Nikau truck access, hauling rubble from Holiday Inn, 2 red zone diggers dumping rubble. 2016. Multi-storey offices, Grand Central Building, Cashel St, would be completed on Hotel Grand Chancellor demo 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
S down Manchester St: Demolition sites both sides of street to Bedford Row junction.
Manchester St / Bedford Row: NE cnr, steel mesh fence cordoned demolition sites stretched along Bedford Row to Madras St. Ditto S side Bedford Row. Few bldgs left in Bedford Row. SE cnr, old brick, blue, multi-storey ghost, facade propped by 4 layers of shipping containers. Top floor of blue facade toppled, exposing rooms, tatty, black plastic, fluttering in the breeze. CERA would take those sites & demolish for its Blueprint E 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: NE cnr, steel mesh fence cordoned Majestic House ghost, awaited demolition for CERA's E Frame. Pre-quakes, teenager Jake attended church services at Majestic House. Lichfield St was the divide between CERA's Blueprint E Frame & S 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 E: Many steel mesh fence cordoned demolition sites, incl domed ANZ Bank Chambers. Poplar Lanes boutique shops & gastro pubs between Lichfield St & Tuam St gone from Manchester St to Poplar Ln, including Poplar Mews where Jake pre-quakes flatted.
CERA's demolition sites so vast, I saw E from Manchester St to NG Gallery, Madras St by Turners & Growers site. I saw S across High St to Alice in Videoland (old PO) Tuam St. CERA wanted to take those E & S demolition sites & bldgs, incl NG Gallery, for its E & S Frames & 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, opp W cnr: By Nucleus sculpture, steel mesh fence cordoned, multi-storey, Te Wanaga Aotearoa ghost. Weedy demolition sites on W Lichfield St cnrs, incl new, steel rebars lying on red zone pavement. Te Wanaga Aotearoa would survive quakes, restored as The Muse Art Hotel in 2019.
A man sat on the pavement by High St steel mesh fence cordon, doing a charcoal sketch of Manchester St E 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. Steel mesh fence cordoned demolition sites all along E side of Manchester St till a brick facade propped up by 5 layers of shipping containers near Tuam St crossing. CERA wanted those sites for Blueprint S Frame.
W side Manchester / High St crossing: Steel mesh fence cordoned Nucleus sculpture & Holiday Inn demolition site seen again. NW 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
W side Manchester St & Struthers Ln junction: Steel mesh fence 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. S beyond Struthers Ln: 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 S 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 E Frame land owners & the E Frame would then boost core CBD land values. So much for the CBD property market balancing itself without NZ National govt's CBD takings.
Manchester St / Tuam St: NE cnr, behind a steel mesh fence cordon, Two Fat Indians Restaurant ghost had an old Polson's Decorators & Signwriters ad on a corrugated iron side wall, revealed by another demolition. Demolitions revealed hidden, old ads on walls all over the CBD.
Round Tuam St cnr, I saw a steel mesh fence cordoned row of ruins on High St, incl McKenzie Willis facade, slow restoration. High St ruins, an eyesore ever since 22.02.11 Killer 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 E Frame land & turned it into Rauora Park, CERA intended widening Manchester St for separate bus, vehicle, cycle lanes. Returning to my car, whore was gone. Week later, Mon 22.04.13, The Press article: "Sex workers return to old haunt."
EQC Truths Reckoning:
Fri 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..."
Sat 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 bldgs & the Coroners Inquest into deaths, EQC Truths blogger & The Press showed poor EQC management.
Coda:
Sat 08.09.18. Trekked Manchester St again: Christchurch Academy ghost awaited restoration. Rebuilds on opp side of road. National Library, still a demolition site. Solicited by a whore, Salisbury St crossing. St Lukes Church, still a demolition site.
Manchester St Bridge: New tarseal. Retour Restaurant copper dome, still lying on Avon River bank, white plastic covered. New Margaret Mahy Family Playground, lively. Rauora Park in E Frame, grassed. YHA survived quakes.
Manchester St: Many traffic lights at every crossing. Despite new, wider pavements, Manchester St, still two laned. Road lanes no wider than pre-quakes. More busses using road from the Bus Interchange. More, new bus stops on Manchester St. New Westende demolition site, dusty, shingle, carpark. Octagon Restaurant / Trinity Church, still unrestored. Relocated Shands Emporium next door, restored, closed. Orange mural on Cathedral Junction wall, faded.
Kensington House restored. By Nucleus sculpture, Te Wanaga Aotearoa ghost. High St crossing blighted by demolition sites & brick ghosts, like Struthers Ln ghosts. Tuam St, part demolished, Odeon Theatre tidied, facade still propped by stacked shipping containers blocking Tuam St traffic. EPIC Innovation, still ugly. St Asaph St crossing, the drawing room closed. Manchester St businesses from Tuam St to Moorhouse Ave, 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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