Christchurch CBD – the destruction before the rebuild

1,300 buildings down in the CBD, 300 more to go. This is the story of the CBD in the garden city. As the photo (taken on Friday 7 September) attests, there is a lot of bare ground within the CBD (lots of empty spaces for carparking, although that will not be required for some time). Christchurch is about to become a very low-rise city. It will be hard to attract the small shops back into the CBD, as the rents will be significant and the returns at best, are often tight. There is a very real risk that the Christchurch CBD will become very sterile with chains and brands occupying what was a funky and creative central city. Only time will tell.

2 Responses to “Christchurch CBD – the destruction before the rebuild”

1. Peggy Noble says:

   September 23, 2012 at 4:26 am

   Thanks, Ken, for a sad photo of one of the most beautiful places I have seen.
   I wish for the developers the wisdom to consult and to make decisions that will give birth to a city for the people for many years to come.

   • Ken McMaster says:

     September 23, 2012 at 7:30 am

     Thanks Peggy for the thoughtful response. We have a long way to go as a community to get back on our feet. We have around 300 restaurants back up and running but another 600 that aren’t. That is a lot of workers and families who remain struggling. However the city is resilient and we will all work hard to rebuild our city and lives.