Cityscape gets the low-down from the big names behind the central city’s residential developments.
Can you tell us about Park Terrace? We have proposed to build a new central city retirement village complex on two sites we own on Park Terrace. We’re planning to build a Warren and Mahoney-designed village which will include apartments and rest home, hospital and dementia care. It will be home to more than 300 residents, and will include an indoor swimming pool, café, movie theatre as well as beautiful grounds for the residents to enjoy, right on Hagley Park. We’ve also undertaken to preserve the historic chapel on the site. The project will be worth more than $240 million and will create sustainable long term jobs as well as homes.
Where are the two sites? The largest of the sites was previously the Bishopspark Retirement Village complex, which was a popular retirement village and care facility run by the Anglican Church. It was damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes and the Church decided to close it down, happily we could offer new homes to many of the residents who have moved into our existing villages while we redevelop. The second site, on the corner of Salisbury Street, was previously an 11-storey high-rise apartment block which was demolished after the earthquakes.
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Are you optimistic about this market? We are optimistic because the population aged over 70 is growing fast and will almost triple over the next 30 years as the baby boomers retire. We’ve had a huge amount of interest in the projects. They’re beautiful sites right in the heart of Christchurch with fantastic views and access to the park. The projects will free up houses in the Christchurch market, and provide warm, architecturally-designed homes with care on hand. It will be one of the largest reinvestments in the city post the quakes. Our villages are in demand. We’re in the midst of the biggest demographic change in generations.
What is the central city’s greatest asset? In terms of our sites I’d say the whole Hagley Park, botanical gardens and Arts Centre precinct. It’s a beautiful part of Christchurch. Recycling our sites into a retirement village will add to the vibrancy of the area and bring more people back into town in a sustainable way.
What’s your vision for what the city will become? A haven with intergenerational living in a beautiful built environment. The city’s well on the way to this. Finally!