Demolition to begin on Cathedral Square buildings
The clock is ticking for one of Christchurch’s ‘Dirty 30’ buildings, following the announcement of a series of demolitions.
The strip of abandoned shops - a two-storey pavilion and the six-storey car park which wraps around the 14-storey former Rydges Hotel, on the corner of Oxford Tce and Worcester Blvd - is expected to be gone by April 2024.
The Christchurch City Council granted Emmons Development NZ Ltd resource consent to demolish the buildings in May 2023, and on Thursday said the works will begin in September.
Emmons Development, whose sole shareholder is Singaporean-based Naoaki Sun, plans to redevelop the hotel after demolition is complete. Emmons Development also owned the cleared site of the former 12-storey Grant Thornton office building, which was demolished in 2012 and located next to the car park.
Read the full story from reporter Sinead Gill here (subscription required).
It’s Riddle Time – You Might Need an Extra Cup of Coffee!
Nobody has ever walked this way. Which way is it?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
.
Do you think NZ should follow suit? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
-
84.6% Yes
-
14% No
-
1.4% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.