Quake-damaged building finally demolished for road upgrade
A block of dilapidated shops in Christchurch’s old Selwyn Village has finally been demolished to make way for a road upgrade.
The buildings on the corner of Selwyn and Brougham streets were damaged during the 2011 earthquake and have since sat fenced off and derelict, leaving them open to vandalism and graffiti.
Now reduced to a pile of rubble, the final stage of the demolition was taking place yesterday morning.
The empty section is earmarked as part of the SH76 Brougham St upgrade carried out by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
A spokesperson said the agency bought the land as part of the long term process to create a safer space on Brougham St for everyone. These include a T2 lane for vehicles with two or more people, shared pathways between Simeon St and Opawa Rd, crossings, intersection upgrades, streetscape improvements and an overbridge for pedestrians. The project is estimated to be completed in Jan 2026.
According to realestate.co.nz, the building was erected in the 1930s and most recently sold for $1.4 million in October.
Christchurch City Council approved a master plan for the rebuild of the Selwyn St shopping area in 2012, but it never came about.
In 2012, then-mayor Bob Parker said the plan was an important step toward the recovery of the historic shopping centre, to put it back on the map as a thriving, lively local village and a focal point for surrounding suburbs.
A Christchurch Facebook group remembered the corner building in its heyday.
The old brick establishment on the corner of Selwyn St and Somerset Cres was a chemist before later becoming a second-hand furniture store.
A petrol station and workshop, Thompson and Westerink, occupied the space behind the chemist, with an entry off Somerset Cres.
A hairdresser, cake shop and pet store also occupied the building at various times during the mid to late 1900s. In later years a gallery, cafe, and dairy moved into the premises.