More housing for CBD
Developers will get a go at the prime site which was previously planned for a failed high-profile Christchurch housing development.
Crown rebuild company O¯ ta¯ karo is calling for developers to come forward with housing proposals for a 8149 square metre site bounded by Madras, Gloucester and Armagh streets.
It was previously earmarked for the failed Breathe Urban Village, a flagship project which found developers through a Government-run international competition. It was abandoned in 2015 after months of delays.
The block is close to Margaret Mahy Playground and near the One Central housing development (formerly the east frame), which is starting to show definite signs of life.
O¯ ta¯ karo strategy and property opportunities general manager Keith Beal said interested developers were encouraged to be innovative in their development plans, as it was not just about the bottom line for divesting the site.
‘‘If you think you have a plan and the capability to deliver homes that do something a little different in terms of design, construction, communal spaces or affordability, we’d like to hear it.’’
Beal said sites of this size, this close to the CBD was ‘‘not going to come along often, anywhere.’’
‘‘With Rauora Park and Manchester St complete or close to it, other major projects progressing well and confidence in the city growing, we believe now is a good time to make this site available.’’
The site is bare land. Before the earthquake it housed several buildings including Charlie B’s Backpackers.
The $30 million Breathe project was seen as a key anchor project for the city. The eco-friendly, timber-clad village was designed by Italian company Anselmi Attiani Associated Architects and local developer Ian Smart.
After months of delays, the project fell through when the developers could not secure the funding required.
Lincoln University’s Dr Lin Roberts recently published a study on the project, finding a pure market approach would never deliver it and it required Government support that was not forthcoming.
Roberts, who was an unsuccessful finalist in the competition to determine the Breathe developer, said the Government wanted a developer to take all the risk, pay an elevated price for a liquefaction-prone piece of land, and then enter a contract to deliver an agreed development by an agreed date, tying the developer’s hand on what it did.