Some Council staff to move into temporary Central City premises

Christchurch City Council is converting the Rexel building in Lichfield Street into temporary offices for its staff. The building, which the Council bought in November 2006 as part of a property purchase for the proposed Transport Interchange, is expected to be ready for 379 staff to move into in mid to late August. The work to convert the building includes some minor structural repairs and fit-out of the offices. Heating and IT and cabling will also be installed. The work, which is expected to cost $750,000, is covered by insurance. Although the building is currently in the Red Zone, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) has advised that the cordon in the area will be reduced by the time the offices open. Staff moving into the new facility are currently based at Christchurch Art Gallery and Papanui and Fendalton libraries, which are closed to the public. Many of these staff are scheduled to return to the Civic Offices in a staged manner from October once repairs to the building are completed. Corporate Services General Manager Paul Anderson says a key priority for the Council is to ensure libraries and the Gallery can be re-opened to the public as soon as possible. All three facilities will need repairs before they can be re-opened. The Gallery Apartments, next door to the Gallery, will also need to be demolished before it can re-open. “These facilities have been closed to the public since the February earthquake because we have needed them for staff accommodation. It is important we give these facilities back to the public and, with repairs continuing to the Civic Offices, we have decided this interim measure is the best way to ensure this can occur,” Mr Anderson says.