Christchurch awaits demolition of Hotel Grand Chancellor
The security cordon around central Christchurch is expected to shrink over coming days, but the heart of the city will stay closed for up to six months until the Hotel Grand Chancellor is demolished.
The 26-storey hotel is set for demolition now that it has been cleared of having any survivors or bodies trapped inside following last week’s earthquake.
Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said that when the hotel, along with some other tall buildings with a “challenging future”, could be brought down would dictate when the central city reopened.
“There are a large number of buildings in the city that are fundamentally unsafe, so there is a step-by-step process here,” Brownlee said.
There would be “widespread demolitions” in the city once it was clear that there were no bodies trapped in buildings.
“We’re a very long way from being out of a state of civil emergency,” he said.
Central City Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale said this week that much of the inner city could remain closed until Christmas.
Source: stuff.co.nz
Ian Jarrett
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