Christchurch's 'Goldilocks years': Conditions 'just right' for strong progress in next 3 years

Christchurch is entering its "Goldilocks" years with the rebuild and economy in just the right place to give the city a boost.

That is the opinion of city leaders who say construction has progressed enough to create opportunities for social and economic activity.

"To me the next three years are very much the three years that everybody expected 2012, 13, 14 to be," said Christchurch Airport chief executive Malcolm Johns.

"Goldilocks" conditions from now until 2020 should bring significant progress in the central city, Johns said.

"They're no longer too hot, too cold, they're just right. And it's really important that the city makes the most of that."

Official estimates say Christchurch needs to attract 75,000 new residents over the next 15 years to maintain its workforce.

 

Joseph Johnson

The new Crowne Plaza hotel will open on July 1.

 

Commercial construction since the earthquakes has given the central city the equivalent new floor space of six shopping malls.  Nearly 200,000sq m of new commercial space has been built, and another 100,000sq m is under construction or confirmed.

Work on anchor projects including the convention centre, metro sports centre, public library and east frame housing is under way.  Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Nicky Wagner has promised more announcements about the anchor projects soon.

The Christchurch City Council is preparing to launch a new entity, Christchurch NZ, next week. Its job is to develop tourism, business, conventions, events and international education in the city.

Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend said the city was entering "a sweet spot".

This year the physical sight of the rebuild would "overwhelm the negative sentiment about a lack of progress on the anchor projects", he said. He expected this would boost the numbers of tourists and new residents.

 

Joseph Johnson

 

"We are really in a good space. We are on a path to sustainable economic prosperity I don't think is shared by anyone else in New Zealand."

Mayor Lianne Dalziel said the city had "found a new mojo" in the transition.

"The sense of possibility that sits in our city right now is real and we need to grab it."

Council's principal urban regeneration advisor John Meeker said there was a chance to "fill in and add vibrancy" around what had been built.

"In the last two years the city's come on in leaps and bounds. A couple of years ago there was still as much stuff coming down as going up. That's completely reversed now and there's very little left to come down."

Brendan Chase, chairman of the Central City Business Association, said the completion of anchor projects and private projects would trigger opportunities for more businesses.

 

JOSEPH JOHNSON/FAIRFAX NZ

Ash Street in the Innovation Precinct.

 

 

The next exciting development for central Christchurch would be "the return of more people", Chase said.

"Not just visitors from other places – the ones that are already here, local people. We need to get the numbers up of people coming into town."

However, access needed fixing, he said. "If the roads are clear and the place doesn't look like a construction site, that would certainly help."

Johns said the key leadership challenge was getting local communities to re-engage with the central city and help the rest of New Zealand recognise it had moved past the earthquakes.

"By the time you get out to the end of 2020, most of the private sector rebuilding will be done in the central city. All bar the stadium will be completed from a government perspective.

"A rebuild is a physical thing ... Regeneration is an emotional thing: you're moving people into a phase of reconnecting with the city."

The city needed events such as festivals and big sports events. They would help attract visitors who spent six times more money than locals, he said.

"We need a central city that's firing."

Townsend said the forecast for Christchurch for the next five or 10 years "doesn't mean everything is perfect, but we will be doing a hell of a lot better than in the past".

 

JOSEPH JOHNSON/FAIRFAX NZ

The Hoyts' EntX cinema complex is under construction in Colombo St.

 

 - Stuff