The earthquake-stricken Reading Cinema carpark building in central Wellington will be demolished.
The building, which suffered significant structural damage in the Kaikoura earthquake, has remained cordoned off in Courtenay Central since the damage was discovered.
The building's owners have been working with engineers over the past few weeks to get a clear understanding of the damage to the carpark, said Wellington City Council building consents and compliance manager Mike Scott.
"It's good to have a definitive answer on this so we can inform people and plan accordingly," he said.
Engineers' reports show that the carpark has been significantly damaged to the point where it is not safe for anyone to enter the building. This means it has to be demolished.
Reading International is working with the council, engineers and the demolition company to come up with a plan to safely and quickly deconstruct the carpark, Scott said.
The council will keep the existing cordon around the Tory St, Courtenay Place carpark in place until the building is demolished.
"We now know that the cordon will be in place for longer than first thought and, while we realise this is causing a lot of disruptions, safety is our top priority here. As soon as we know more about the timeline we'll share this information," Scott said.
The council's welfare team is in contact with residents and businesses in the area to help as much as possible.
A one-stop shop called ERIC (Earthquake Recovery Information Centre) is now open in the Public Trust building in Lambton Quay. It will be staffed with people from across many different government sectors as well as other relevant community organisations to offer face-to-face support and advice to people around the earthquake recovery phase.
