Neighbours upset at neglected village site
Neighbours of central Christchurch land bought for a new retirement village say it has become a neglected eyesore and they want it cleaned up.
The two large sites cover 1.7 hectares on Park Tce opposite Hagley Park, with boundaries on Salisbury St, Peterborough St and Westwood Tce.
The land is owned by retirement village operator Ryman Healthcare, which in 2021 gained resource consent to develop it with a $240 million, seven-storey retirement complex comprising six buildings.
The land is now covered with weeds, contains dumped items, and has widespread tagging and graffiti. Palestine protest slogans are the latest additions.
Various neighbours say they have approached both Ryman and the city council about the mess, but without success.
Nearby resident Barbara Meier said they were tired of the eyesore in what was usually an attractive part of the city.
“We’re all fed up with Ryman not doing anything. Perhaps instead of it getting full of rubbish, they should plant some shrubs or trees along the fenceline so we don’t have to look at it,” she said.
“Ryman has lovely gardens when you go to the retirement homes – so I don’t know why they are leaving it so ugly for so long.”
The company’s biggest investment in Christchurch yet, the complex was intended to include 155 apartments, 54 assisted living suites, 70 rooms for aged and dementia care, and other facilities.
Last November, then-Ryman chief executive Richard Umbers announced that the company would “review its landbank” and reprioritise its building programme.
He said the company would put construction of three villages on hold, and sell two undeveloped sites, but did not give its intentions for the Park Tce project.
Kate Burtt, chairperson of the Inner City West Neighbourhood Association (Icon), said Ryman was “not really being good citizens”.
“They are not helping the city develop, they are holding it back. Park Tce is a gateway to the city for visitors.
“We’re not wanting to be difficult, but it is very unsightly, and we’re concerned.
“We’ve gone to the council but I don’t know what they can do. We’ve got the Dirty 30 buildings, and the parking sites that have to be tidy, but this is vacant land.”
City councillor Jake McLellan, who represents the central ward, said he had approached council staff about the Ryman land to see what could be done, but a high threshold was needed for staff to take action.
McLellan said an option he favoured was to extend the boundary where the council could charge higher rates on unused central city land.
“As it is now, I suspect the council’s hands are tied. I do feel sorry for the local residents.”
Ryman, a public company founded in Christchurch in the 1980s, owns 48 retirement villages with 14,200 residents in New Zealand and Australia.
In a statement to The Press , a Ryman spokesperson said the company had been maintaining the two sites to ensure they remained tidy, and a security company patrolled them daily for signs of damage or intruders.
“Contractors visit regularly to spray weeds, mow berms, clear rubbish, and remove any graffiti from the fences,” the spokesperson said.
“We have been in touch with our gardening and maintenance contractors since being contacted by The Press, and they will visit the sites to address these issues.”
In its latest financial report, available for the six months to September, Ryman recorded a $186.7m profit, down 3.8% on the same period the previous year, after what the company called “a period of challenging market conditions”. Its assets were worth $13 billion. Umbers resigned in late April.