Central city  |  17 Nov 2021

Christchurch City Council is calling for feedback on a proposal to sell an empty piece of land in the city’s Performing Arts Precinct that is earmarked for a new carpark building.

The Council has signed a conditional agreement with Wilson Parking New Zealand to design, build, own and operate a 320–400 space public carpark building on the piece of land at 137–141 Gloucester Street, next to the Isaac Theatre Royal.

The agreement is subject to public consultation on the sale of this 2081 square metres of land.

“This is a chance for people to tell us what they think about our plans to sell this land, which will ensure the construction of a new carpark building to meet the demand for parking in the northern part of the city,” says Head of Facilities, Property and Planning Bruce Rendall.

After the public consultation ends, a recommendation regarding the sale of the land is expected to go to the Council for consideration in February 2022.

If the Council approves the sale of the land, it will be sold to Wilson Parking New Zealand at market value  at the time negotiation started. Part of the agreement states that the land must be used as a carpark for the next 30 years and the carpark building will be built at no cost to the Council.

The Council’s 2015 Christchurch Central Parking Plan identified the need for a new off-street parking building, or buildings, in the area north of Cathedral Square to help meet demand for public parking in the area. The proposed carpark building will service existing and planned facilities north of Cathedral Square, including Te Pae (Convention Centre), Tῡranga, The Court Theatre, Isaac Theatre Royal and The Piano.

The Crown transferred the land to the Council in 2020 as part of the global settlement agreement, with the expectation that a carpark building would be built there to help serve the Performing Arts Precinct. If construction goes ahead, it’s hoped the carpark building will be completed by mid-2023.

You can Have Your Say on the proposed land sale until 13 December.