Old building in central Christchurch coming down to make way for new Kathmandu store

Friday, 12 October 2018

An artist's impression of the redeveloped Carter Group building for tenant Kathmandu on the corner of Cashel and Colombo Sts.

One of the few remaining damaged buildings in central Christchurch's retail precinct will be demolished to make way for a new Kathmandu flagship store.

Workers have started preparations to bring down the old Pagoda Court building on the corner of Colombo and Cashel Sts, a key corner in the new retail precinct.

The Pagoda Court building in central Christchurch, pictured in 2011, will be demolished by its owner the Carter Group.

Owners the Carter Group, which built and own the $140 million Crossing shopping complex opposite, originally intended to repair and renovate the building after paying $1.88m for it last year.

They have now signed up Christchurch-based adventure wear company Kathmandu as a tenant.

Carter Group head Philip Carter says Kathmandu is a good fit for the site.

The Pagoda Court building in central Christchurch, pictured at the time of its 2016 sale, will be demolished by its owner the Carter Group.

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The old three-level building housed the Pagoda Court chinese restaurant from 1982 until the 2011 earthquakes, with Unichem Pharmacy and other retailers including shoe stores plus a Vodafone outlet at street level.

Kathmandu chief executive Xavier Simonet said they had been investigating options for a new central city store 'for some time', and the central location and foot traffic of the Carter site were behind their choice. The Carter Group was also Kathmandu's landlord in their Cashel St store before the earthquakes.

The company also has a store under its office headquarters on Madras St in the city's innovation precinct. They have not yet decided whether it will stay open when the new building is complete.

Simonet said they would have input into the design of the new store. It is scheduled to open in mid-2019.

Resource consent was granted for the project in July. A building consent application is before the city council now.

Carter Group head Philip Carter said Kathmandu was a good fit for the site. It was 'great to see growing confidence' in the central city and new arrivals were helping bring the public in, he said.

The building will have two storeys with large windows and glass canopies. It will sit next to the BNZ Centre, and opposite Ballantynes, the ANZ Centre and The Crossing.

Other outdoors stores nearby include Macpac in the ANZ Centre, while North Face is about to open in The Crossing.