Ōtautahi Christchurch - a decade on
At 1251 pm February 22 2011 life changed in New Zealand.
A shallow, 6.2 magnitude quake, followed by thousands of aftershocks, battered Ōtautahi Christchurch and the Canterbury region, taking 185 lives, leaving unprecedented destruction and the city and her people in shock.
Barriers at the once bustling Cashel St Mall. Image courtesy of Avatar Christchurch Web Designer
The toll on the city and its inhabitants is ongoing and well documented but as the 10th anniversary is about to be commemorated, there is much to celebrate in the city in terms of the physical rebuild.
In 2016 Ōtākaro Ltd was created to oversee the construction of the city’s anchor projects - and this will be a significant year for those projects.
The Avon River Precinct by night.
As Ōtākaro CEO, John Bridgman is overseeing the anchor build. He says the 10th anniversary will be “a challenging time for people to reflect and remember but also to acknowledge how much progress has been made in the rebuild.”
He says there will always be detractors but “when the 20th anniversary rolls around I think people will look at Christchurch, the mix of private and public, and see it as a hugely beneficial process.”
Te pae - convention centre.
John points to Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre which is expected to be completed by the middle of the year and will be extremely important to the city’s business sector.
The Metro Sports facility is set for completion next year and will be vital for locals along with visiting sports groups. The Christchurch City council, which will run Metro Sports, says it will be “the largest aquatic and indoor recreation and leisure venue of its kind in New Zealand.”
The complex, the council says, will be well equipped to host local, national and international events. Sitting within Moorhouse Avenue, Stewart Street, St Asaph Street and Antigua Street, It will be easy to get to by public transport, private vehicles and the new walking and cycling links through the central city.
Aerial shot of Victoria Square which is part of the Avon River Precinct.
Te Papa Ōtākaro/Avon River Precinct (ARP) is another success John Bridgman is proud of. He says it was extremely gratifying the ARP won the supreme category, the NZILA George Malcolm award, at the 2019 Resene New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards.
He says this series of linked projects represented a big change for the people of Christchurch and it is wonderful to see it being used all day, every day in all sorts of weather.
John Bridgman says he is really proud of what Ōtākaro has contributed to the rebuild. “The team has huge passion for what they do for the city.”
The Metro Sports Facility will be a world class aquatic centre.
He says of course there have been challenges working not only through Covid but also with a stretched construction sector. He says the biggest vertical build in the country is really coming together and he is excited for the connections starting to emerge - especially for those living in One Central and he is confident those connections will continue to build.
He believes the rebuild has provided a “strong template for future jurisdictions struck by disaster.” He emphasises the need for long term planning, bold decision making and the connection of anchor projects while stressing how important is has been to have central and local government working in partnership with the private sector.
The Metro Sports Facility will be the biggest aquatic centre in the country.
John Bridgman says a city is an ever evolving beast. “Are they ever finished? But the quake recovery has allowed Christchurch to fix some of the past mistakes.”
Take a look at the video below which takes you through the Te Pae Convention Centre as it nears completion.
