Christchurch Diocese sells land block to Council

The 12m-wide stretch will provide a direct pedestrian link between New Regent Street and the river promenade, the Council said on December 4. The sale involved 378 square metres of land directly opposite New Regent Street.

The Council has not disclosed how much it paid for the land or how much it will cost to develop it into a laneway.

The Diocese, which owns the block bordered by Manchester, Colombo, Armagh and Oxford streets, had planned to develop the land into a new Catholic cathedral precinct.  But the Diocese decided to rebuild its cathedral on its original site in Barbadoes Street.

The Carter Group has plans to build two six-storey commercial buildings on either side of the proposed laneway.

Rob Farrell, an adviser to Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen, said the block of land was now surplus to requirements and the remainder would be strategically divested over the medium to long term.

“The Diocese is delighted that the city has made this purchase to extend such an iconic street,” he said.

A laneway has been talked about for a number of years. It was first raised in 2012 as part of the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan. The Council said the extension would be carefully designed to make sure pedestrians could cross Armagh St safely, especially near where the tram turns.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said the investment would be the starting point for further development in the area.

FULL STORY

New laneway set to extend one of Christchurch’s most popular streets (By Tina Law/The Press – subscription required)