Commissioners endorse redevelopment of Kilmore St site

Environment Canterbury commissioners at today’s Council meeting endorsed a report and approved a recommendation to repair and rebuild its buildings in Kilmore St, Christchurch.

Chair of Commissioners Dame Margaret Bazley welcomed progress towards Environment Canterbury returning to the central city.

“As an organisation we are committed to returning to the central city and being part of the recovery of Christchurch City. The prospect of building a new sustainable building is an opportunity to embrace the principles set out in the Central City Plan being signed off by the Christchurch City Council today,” she said.

The cost of the rebuild at 58 Kilmore St is likely to be covered by insurance. A project manager, quantity surveyor and design consultants will be appointed in coming weeks for the first stage of the work through to the end of April next year. This will include concept option plans for consideration by Council, and geotechnical investigations of the site.

One of the three buildings on the site, six level Aoraki on the west side, is already being deconstructed, and the four storey Pegasus on the east side is still to be fully assessed by engineers. Its proximity to the Copthorne Hotel, recently deconstructed, has restricted access for a full assessment. In the middle is the single storey Waitaha building comprising reception area and the Canterbury Civil Defence Group’s Emergency Co-ordination Centre (ECC), where the damage is minor and repairable.

The scale of the rebuild will be determined once the condition of the eastern Pegasus building is known.

Commissioners agreed that the site should be rebuilt in a way which allowed for flexibility in the future, which would also protect ratepayers equity. The aim was to have staff return to the site by mid 2014.

Environment Canterbury’s 300 or so Christchurch staff are currently spread across a number of short-lease offices in Lincoln, Nazareth Ave in Middleton, Kainga, Papanui, Riccarton and Amberley.