$10M mall planned

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 1

$10M mall planned

A $lO million mall with about 35 shops has been proposed to extend from the City Mall. The mall will be built by the Guthrey Group and will extend Bells Arcade to Lichfield Street The Pavilion has been designed by a Christchurch architect, Mr Philip Kennedy, who also designed stage three of the Shades precinct. The proposal includes an extension of the Christchurch City Council’s Lichfield Street car-park, the demolition and replacement of the present Dores for Floors building (owned by Ballantyne’s) and the remodelling of Bells Arcade. A spokesman for Guthrey’s, Mr Peter Guthrey, said the mall would have two entrances from Cashel Street , which would meet in the middle

where a lift would take people to the car-park. The mall would extend in a single line of shops to Lichfield Street, possibly including one large shop similar to Whitcoulls, said Mr Guthrey. The central area would have a high stud and a lot of natural lighting. A restaurant was likely for the central area. Lighting and greenery would create the illusion of being outside, he said. The mall would have about 30 to 35 shops. Most would be on the ground floor but a few could be on a mezzanine floor in the central area, said Mr Guthrey. Bells Arcade will be renovated inside but the outside will be retained. The building that houses Bells Arcade was designed by an early Christchurch architect, W. B. Armson, and has a B classification from the Historic Places Trust.

A veranda will be built on the front of the Armson building and will extend across the front of the John Bates and Worcester Housing buildings. “People will be able to walk out on to the veranda. A small restaurant will be downstairs next to the bank with seating into the centre of the mall, with the possibility of a couple of wind breaks,” Mr Guthrey said. About $lO million will be spent on the development, including $5 million by the City Council, about $3 million by Ballantyne’s for the rear of the mall, and about $2 milllion by Guthrey’s. Mr Guthrey said work had started but the main construction would probably begin next year and would take 18 months to two years to complete. The City Council said that about 300 extra spaces would be available in the car-park extension. It was hoped to have some of these ready by Christmas next year, he said.