Artists ‘should use building on stadium land’
Students and artists should use a new building set to be demolished to make way for a stadium that ‘‘may never happen’’, a developer says.
The Kirk Roberts Consulting Engineers’ office building opened at the corner of Barbadoes and Lichfield St in 2012. It was the first large commercial building rebuilt in central Christchurch postearthquake.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) acquired it with plans to demolish it to make way for the covered stadium as part of the blueprint.
About 30 Cera staff are using part of the building, but their staff contracts are to end in April.
City Owners Rebuild Entity (Core) founder Ernest Duval said Cera should open the building to small businesses, students or artists as the stadium was years away and ‘‘may never happen’’.
It could be rented cheaply to foster diversity in the CBD or at full price to get a return on the expensive taxpayer’s investment, he said.
According to 2013 forecasts, construction of the new covered stadium should have started in March this year. Cera this year pushed completion of the contentious anchor project to late 2021. Christchurch City Councillor Raf Manji said in May the project had been pushed to late 2024 or 2025.
Meanwhile the site remains largely empty. Duval said the Kirk Roberts building could be ‘‘repurposed to provide accom- modation for artists or students’’.
Architectural designer Barnaby Bennett agreed.
‘‘It’s the perfect example of how long term plans can damage the immediate environment for the city,’’ he said. ‘‘But that can be fixed. It would be very simple for Cera to allow community groups to use it.’’
Cera should seek expressions of interest to see which groups could benefit from using the building temporarily, he said.
‘‘With the stadium years away, it’s a great opportunity.’’
A Cera spokeswoman said the authority was considering options for remaining useable Crownowned buildings on the site earmarked for the stadium, including leasing them for short periods.
Meanwhile, Bennett and Duval are pushing for the eight-storey former IRD building and its neighbouring Pavilion building to be repaired and used.
The Crown bought both of the Cashel St buildings as part of the east frame residential project, but Cera has not confirmed their fate.
A spokeswoman said it was discussing the potential use of the buildings with the frame’s preferred developer, Fletcher Living.
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said earlier this year the IRD building would not look out of place in the area and could be brought up to 100 per cent of building code.
The 14,000-square-metre structure cost $50 million to build and was completed in 2007.
Fletcher Living is to develop nearly 1000 townhouses in the east frame along Manchester St as part of an $800m project.