Something old, something new
$1m replacement planned for Sydenham church controversially demolished without proper consent.
Plans are in place to rebuild the Sydenham Heritage Church, 10 years after the Christchurch building was controversially demolished.
The historic Gothic stone church, built on the corner of Brougham and Colombo streets in
1877, was demolished without proper consent two days after the February 2011 earthquake during the Government-declared the state of emergency.
Rubble from the church remained at the site for more than six years, before being cleared away in 2017 and 2018.
The Sydenham Heritage Trust wants to spend close to $1m building a replacement community facility that will include a museum dedicated to the lost history of the suburb, a meeting room and a cafe.
It will incorporate the original stonework and stained-glass window. The trust has asked the Christchurch City Council for
$500,000 towards the cost, and wants the council to release
$206,000 of insurance funds it holds for the building while also waiving any charges associated with erecting a replacement.
Trust spokesman David Rankin said the amount requested was a small contribution considering the asset the community would end up with. The trust had access to another $120,000 in donations and savings and would apply to various trusts for the remaining amount, he said.
‘‘The building will reinstate the commanding presence of what stood there for so long and signal once again a gateway to announce the Sydenham business district,’’ the trust’s rationale for building a replacement states.
At a council meeting last month, head of community support, governance and partnerships John Filsell said the project would not qualify for a heritage grant because there was not enough of the former church left.
A community centre was not needed in that location because of the proximity of other community centres.
‘‘The answer was not what they [the trust] wanted to hear,’’ Filsell said.
However, Rankin said the trust was pushing ahead with the request regardless, and he hoped the council would include the money in its 10-year budget.
Rankin also disagreed with the view that a community centre was not needed in the area.
The Sydenham community was growing rapidly and there was strong demand for an additional facility, he said.
‘‘We consider this is a very appropriate project to justify council support.’’
If the council did not grant the money, the trust would have to look for other sources of funding and the corner would remain an ‘‘eyesore’’ for longer than hoped, Rankin said.
The church was bought by the trust with council support in 2001, when a developer threatened demolition. The council provided a $412,500 mortgage, which the trust understood would be written off.