New parking building nears completion

The Christchurch City Council and its contractors are in the final stages of preparing the Lichfield Street Car Park for opening.

The Council’s manager operations (transport) Aaron Haymes said the building will open to the public on 10 November after a brief opening ceremony. The opening will also herald the start of the Council’s one-hour free parking offer.

“We’re thrilled to be opening this car parking building,” Mr Haymes said. “The activity within close proximity to the site has increased substantially over recent months and a lot more is set to occur this summer season. Having it open again will be a real boost for the central city.”

Council Transport Operations Manager Aaron Haymes outside the new Lichfield St parking building.

The original building was demolished after being badly damaged in the February 2011 earthquake. Its replacement is one of the most technically advanced car parking buildings in New Zealand, and has 805 parking spaces, including 24 disability parking spaces and 10 charging parks for electric vehicles. A bike stand on the ground floor, at the corner of Lichfield Street and Plymouth Lane will have space for 96 bikes.

Coinciding with the parking building opening the Council is offering one-hour free parking at all its off-street car parking sites for four months, from 10 November.

Mr Haymes said the one-hour free parking offer for the next four months aims to attract more people into the central city to do shopping or just to have a look around.

Councillor Pauline Cotter, the Chair of the Council’s Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee, said opening the Lichfield Street Car Park is a significant milestone in the recovery of the central city.

“I think it will be a great boost for those businesses that have returned to the central city, and to the people of Christchurch in general,” Cr Cotter said.

“Coupled with the one-hour free parking offer, it will certainly help central city businesses. Business owners have taken quite a risk in returning to the central city while it is still being built, with all the disruption that entails, and this offer is one way the Council can show its commitment to a vibrant city centre.”

The Lichfield Street Car Park, with its easy access to Ballantynes, the Guthrey Centre and City Mall, has always been popular with city shoppers.

“This building is a very different type of construction than we had before the quakes,” said project director Lee Butcher.

“It has the easy access to Ballantynes that shoppers love, and incorporates new technology to make finding a park easier.”

There are more lifts and more pay points, and the ground floor will be home to seven retail and hospitality businesses.

The upgrade of Plymouth Lane, which runs along the western edge of the car park from Lichfield Street to Cashel Street and City Mall, has been included in the project.

“This has turned what was a dark, cold and windy alleyway into a light, open space that’s safe to walk through, with access to the car park’s ground-floor retail and hospitality businesses and nice places to sit,” Mr Butcher said.

Members of the public will be able to use the Lichfield St Car Park from noon on 10 November.