Bid to restore famous Dux de Lux pub not over yet after 'short-sighted' rejection

Wednesday, 24 August 2022

Richard Sinke outside the Dux de Lux in March.

A mayoral candidate is weighing in on a campaign to restore Christchurch’s derelict former Dux de Lux building.

Sitting Christchurch city councillor and mayoral hopeful Phil Mauger wants to work with the Arts Centre and former tenants to save the building, which some fear is being demolished by neglect.

It comes after the Arts Centre rejected an offer to restore the Dux de Lux, one of the city’s most beloved pubs and venues, in exchange for 50 years of free rent.

Dux de Lux founder Richard Sinke and a team of developers wanted to launch a fundraising drive in spring, with the hope of reopening the building by summer 2024.

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Before becoming the Dux de Lux, the building housed the University of Canterbury’s student union. Photo taken May 1982.

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Sinke said the $9.5 million to restore the building was too high for any investment return, which was why he wanted the restoration to be seen as a social enterprise.

In exchange the group, named ReDux, asked the Arts Centre to waive rent for the restored building for the duration of a 50-year lease.

Phil Mauger hopes to win the mayoralty of Christchurch at the next election.

The Arts Centre Trust Board rejected the plan because it did not want to tie up the building – which has been sitting empty sinceCanterbury earthquakes – for five decades without any revenue. The Arts Centre has no plans or funding to restore the Dux building.

In a statement, Mauger called it “an extremely short-sighted decision”.

“The group behind the lease offer are incredibly competent people with a proven track record in our city.”

He said if elected mayor, he would be committed to working with the Arts’ Centre Trust Board – which he said had otherwise done a “clever” and “fantastic job” with restoring other historic buildings – and the ReDux team, to come up with a solution and bring the Dux de Lux back.

“The council has used a similar lease model to that proposed by ReDux. The Old Municipal Chambers was restored by Box 112 with outstanding results.”

While he pledged no financial contribution, Mauger said he would consult with the community before the council committed any spending.

The 139-year-old Tudor-styled building, which housed multiple businesses, including “the people's pub” the Dux de Lux, was damaged significantly during the 2011 earthquake. It has been closed ever since awaiting repairs and earthquake strengthening work.

Dux de Lux founder Richard Sinke campaigned to fix the structural damage and reopen his pub in the months after the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.

Sinke believed he could fix the building and reopen his bar within a few months, but Arts Centre leaders wanted to prioritise restoration of older buildings in the historic complex like the Great Hall, Rutherford’s Den and the Clock Tower.

Arts Centre chief executive Philip Aldridge could not be reached for comment on whether he would be open to discussions with Mauger.