Bells development

Press, 13 December 1986, Page 31

Bells development

Four Christchurch companies are redeveloping Bells Arcade, which links the Cashel Street mall to Lichfield Street. The scheme, with the working name of the Pavilion, involves Guthrey Holdings, Ltd, Curtis Jewellers, Ltd, Dores For Floors, Ltd, and J. Ballantyne and Company, Ltd. It will contain 60 shops and a restaurant.

The redevelopment involves the expansion of the Bells Arcade to include ground floor shopping in the extensions to the Lichfield Street carpark, which are now being built.

There will be a twin entrance off Cashel Street, which connects with the highspeed lift that is being built in the car-park extensions, and a single entrance off Lich-

field Street. The managing director of Guthrey’s, Mr Peter Guthrey, said that the arcade was being designed to blend in with the mall. Stage I, involving Guthrey’s and Curtis Jewellers, which dealt with the Bell building and Bates building in the mall, would cost between $3 million and $4 million to develop, he said. However, it also involved the joint venture as an atrium would be built, which would contain some restaurant seating. Stage I would be started early next year, although some work has already been done for one area, and be completed in January, 1988, when the extensions to the carpark were supposed to be finished. Mr Guthrey said. Surveys had shown that the city mall had the highest density of foot traffic in the retail area of the city.

“A lot of people feel that Christchurch is over-shopped, and I'm not sure they’re

wrong, but it is location that is most important.” The existing Lichfield Street carpark was the biggest in Christchurch and doing the best, and when the extensions were finished there would be sufficient parking for 850 cars, making it the biggest in the South Island.

It was a bonus that the carpark’s lift would be opening on to the arcade, he said. The Bell building, which was regarded as historic, would not be pulled down, although a veranda was planned for the front. The building was designed by a Christchurch architect, Mr W. B. Armson, about 100 years ago, and “it is considered to be the best example of his work left in Christchurch.”

Mr C. W. Ballantyne, the manager of J. Ballantyne and Company, said that work on the second stage, involving his company and Dores would not start until late next year, and be completed the following year.