Rebuilding Christchuch – the going gets tough - Letter from Christchurch

Rebuilding Christchuch – the going gets tough

The ideas are flowing for building a better, brighter Christchurch, but central business owners who want to stay are finding it tough going.

By Rebecca Macfie In Letter from Christchurch

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4th June, 2011

Christchurch earthquake

Viewed from high on the Port Hills after dark, the heart of Christchurch is a black hole. All around, the lights of streets and houses fan out across the plains, but the central business district is a pool of dark, silent emptiness. Three months on from the February quake, the inner core of the city remains sealed off by a high fence and under 24-hour guard by the military. Of around 2700 commercial buildings within the area hemmed by the four avenues – Moorhouse, Rolleston, Bealey and Fitzgerald – an estimated 900 will have to come down. Many of those that remain will require substantial ...

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