Developers seek special hotel zone

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 1

Developers seek special hotel zone

By JOHN HARFORD A special tourist hotel zone near the airport would “complete” Memorial Avenue, said the developers of a proposed $5O million hotel yesterday. Realshare Corporation, Ltd, wants to build a “high quality international hotel” at the corner of Russley Road and Memorial Avenue. It has asked the. Waimairi District Council to create a special hotel zone from the Commodore Motor Inn to Russley Road to allow the project to go ahead. The 500 m-long piece of land between the Commodore and Russley Road is vacant although some is used for grazing. The company’s planning consultant, Mr Bob Batty, of Gabites, Porter and Partners, said the area was ideally suited to highquality, low-density hotel development. He realised the land was in the green belt which surrounded Christchurch but the type of hotel sought could not be built in central Christchurch. Mr Batty said it was time to review the purpose of the green belt in the airport area. It had already served its purpose of preventing urban spread and isolating the airport. The land between the airport and Russley Road was already being developed for light industry, he said. The three-storey, 200bed hotel would occupy a 4ha block at the western end of the proposed zone. Another developer, who Mr Batty would not name, wanted to build a similar high-quality hotel on the adjacent block if the bid for the zone was success-

ful. It was a definite proposal and preliminary designs had been done. The council had agreed to begin procedures to create the hotel zone so that the company could present its case in public. It would neither support nor stand, against the zone. V Mr Batty; said he was grateful for the council’s attitude. ’ Although 1 he expected objections to the scheme, he hoped; people who liked the idea would also

express their views. f A strong reaction jwas expected from the Canterbury United Councill because the land was in the green belt. Mr Batty isaid he hoped the —Uiited Council would give! the scheme "proper, i 'open consideration” /' before making its decision.. In original plana,. the hotel fronted Russley Road, but 'the District Council would not tallow access to the site -from there because it was a major through-road, j

The developers now planned access to the zone from Memorial Avenue. A new road on to the land Could serve both new hotels and possibly the Commodore as well. The hotel would be set back at least 40m from Memorial Avenue with extensive tree-planting and landscaping. A director of Realshare Corporation, Mr Donald Sutherland, said the area would be enhanced by completing Memorial Avenue with a tree-lined

apron of land. A true avenue would be created in place of the present “barren landscape." Studies of projected tourist numbers arriving in Christchurch showed there would be a strong demand for more firstclass accommodation in Christchurch within three or four years. New hotels in the centre of the city would meet only part of the demand, Mr Sutherland said. A revolving restaurant on top of the complex

would be a feature of the hotel, as would a moat and fountains at the front. A convention centre attached to the hotel would be able to handle , up to 450 people. “Its low-level appearance would be unobtrusive and pleasing to the eye, with landscaping and trees to create a park-like setting,” Mr Sutherland said. The “open air” nature of the approach to the city from the airport would be kept