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Changes coming to Central City
The Forum was formally formed last year and, while not all changes can be slotted home to the Forum, big changes have taken place. There has been the redevelopment of Cathedral Square, the new Bus Exchange, The Crossing, and the Discovery School now rising on top of the Arthur Barnett building. Also, the building of a three-storey retail redevelopment on the corner of Lichfield and Colombo streets is under way. Canterbury University has moved a department into the Bellamys section of the Provincial Council Chambers and a High Street refurbishment programme between Manchester and Madras streets has started. Free parking for the first hour in three City Council parking buildings is under way and a Starbucks cafe has opened in the old Central Post Office. As a result of the Starbucks’ move an Internet cafe and an art gallery quickly established themselves in the same building. The Strip in Oxford Terrace is now a busy thoroughfare. Listed heritage buildings in the central city can now qualify for a grant for increases in rates for restoration schemes costing more than $50,000. A hi-tech school has been established in the MFL building. All these changes in the revitalisation of the central city have come after careful planning. After the Forum was formed (it now has 14 members with other committees) a discussion document, called Focus on the Heart, was produced that set out the vision. This identified the important issues and nearly 1000 public responses were received after its publication. The document sets out short-term visions and is stage one. Other projects are in the pipeline. A Chinese-English language school for several hundred Chinese high school students is planned. There is also the One-Stop Shop to be created in the Our City centre in the old Municipal Chambers to enable all those interested in Council projects, particularly in the Central City, to get information in one place. A proposal to upgrade three unused old buildings in Bedford Row is under way and the provision of a produce market is being investigated. Latimer Square is also being examined to see what residents would prefer with changes and work is progressing on the suggestion to swap around the one-way streets of Lichfield and Tuam. The unpaid Forum members are at the same time tackling proposals for the long-term view of changes to the Central City. These stage two ideas will be presented over the coming months to the new Council.
Investing in the Central City
People ask why should time, money and effort be spent on the Central City. Why bother?
Christchurch has to maintain its infrastructure, such as the piping of water, the removal of sewerage and waste, and roading. The cost for these services is spread across the city. If the valuation of proper-ties in the Central City declined the rate take would go down. The result would be an increase in the rates charged in the suburbs.
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