Shand’s, church ready by Xmas
After more than two years of painstaking restoration work, the oldest wooden commercial building in Christchurch is approaching completion.
The 157-year-old Shand’s Emporium building, now known simply as Shand’s, has survived the earthquakes, years of ‘‘demolition through neglect’’ and twice being lifted by a crane.
But by Christmas, it will be restored to its former glory.
The listed heritage building was relocated from its original site at 88 Hereford St to the corner of Manchester and Worcester streets in 2015 after the Christchurch Heritage Trust bought it for $1.
‘‘It was a minor miracle it was still in one piece when we got it here – structurally, it was severely compromised,’’ said project manager Richard Lloyd.
‘‘We’ve retained the original material, which is mostly kauri, a bit of rimu, some matai. There’s been a real mix over the years.
When it arrived on site, Shand’s was stripped bare so the walls and floor could be repaired, and any alterations that detracted from the original character of the building were removed.
A two-storey annex featuring a commercial kitchen, toilets and office space was constructed connecting it with the adjoining Trinity Congregational Church, also owned by the trust, which dated back to 1875.
‘‘What we’ve created here is a landmark corner. We’ve got the oldest stone church in central Christchurch and we’ve got the oldest commercial wooden building in the city.’’ said trust chairwoman Anna Crighton.
The trust had budgeted $6 million for the entire project, and had spent around $600,000 restoring Shand’s, Crighton said. There had already been interest in buying the entire complex and both buildings separately, however Crighton said the trust was considering all options, including leasing the buildings.
Trinity, delayed by wet weather and road works, would be completed by the first quarter of 2018.