Official opening for redevelopment

Press, 6 December 1989, Page 29

Official opening for redevelopment

The good news is that the men and the machinery which have populated the City Mall east of Colombo Street for the last four months have gone, leaving behind them the completed second stage of the City Mall Stage Two of the City Mall will be officially opened today by the mayor, Vicki Buck. Stage Two has included the paving of the existing City Mall east of Colombo Street as well as the intro-

duction of new landscape features designed to bring more people to the area. Although seven years have passed since the first stage of the City Mall opened, this second stage has always been in the pipeline. Planning for the City Mall began in 1968 with the decision to convert the central part of Cashel and High Streets into a pedestrian mall, recalls the city architect, Mr Albert Louman.

“Right from the beginning when the City Mall was planned it was accepted that it would have to be done in stages,” Although the City Mall is now part of life for Christchurch people, tourists still found it rather perplexing that a pedestrian mall should have pavements and kerbs. Now, however, the kerbs are gone in half the mall at least, replaced by unit paving and new areas in which people can con-

gregate. The original plan to create an amphitheatre where Cashel and High Streets converge was decided against because it was felt people might see it as a barrier. The main purpose of the redevelopment was to bring people together in a sunny corner of the city to participate, to interact and to be entertained. Mr Louman feels this objective has been achieved by the creation

of a round “stage” bn the same level as the street. He envisages it being used for impromptu entertainment from school groups or bands as well as forming an ideal venue for the local retailers to stage promotions. The strong geometric patterns in the paving link the area back to the United Building Society’s forecourt with its waterfall, giving the entire area a pleasant and cohesive atmosphere. Other changes in the eastern end of the City Mall are more prominent signs, which will be floodlit at night, new planters and an enhancement of the Stewart Fountain. Mr Louman is looking at introducing permanent banner supports, which will carry first the 1990 banners and later promotional information for

the City Mall as well as the yearly Christmas decorations. . Architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, quantity surveying, project supervision and planting services have all been undertaken by the techni-

cal services group of the Christchurch City Council. Stage Three, the final stage planned in the redevelopment of the City Mall, will entail similar improvements in the mall to the west of Colombo Street.