Giant concrete wall blocks central Christchurch street in new convention centre construction

The view of the Convention Centre wall from Gloucester St. Photo / Kurt Bayer

Gloucester St in Christchurch is now a dead-end thanks to a giant concrete wall built for the new Te Pae convention centre.

The street, which once ran between Colombo St and the Avon River, now ends with the big towering slab of concrete blocking it off.

Te Pae is currently being built across two blocks in the Christchurch city centre.

Developers say that, once finished, the whole site will be wrapped with pedestrian-friendly spaces.

The stretch of Gloucester St that now ends with the concrete wall was taken from the council by the government, using special emergency earthquake powers in 2016, for the purpose of building the new convention centre.

Te Pae cuts right through Gloucester St. Photo / Ōtākaro

Crown rebuild company Ōtākaro, responsible for the project, says the wall will eventually become part of a new development built next to it.

Ōtākaro says there will be a footpath running around the new building to the Avon River.

"Ōtākaro will construct an east/west laneway along the southern side of the exhibition hall, that connects Cathedral Square to Oxford Terrace. This will also act as a fire egress route for Te Pae," a spokesperson said, Stuff reported.

"The intention is to divest the site in front of the wall in the future for a private development. This will mean the wall at the Colombo St end of the site will no longer be visible."

Te Pae Progress Update - April 2019 from Ōtākaro Limited on Vimeo.

The Christchurch Central Development Unit, a precursor to Ōtākaro, wanted to close the road in February 2015.

Under the emergency earthquake powers, the council couldn't appeal the move and the land was transferred to central government.

Emergency earthquake powers ended up overriding what would normally be a complex process to remove a road from the central city.

This particular piece of road, now closed off, was once home to a shopping arcade as well as Christchurch's library.

Te Pae is expected to open in 2020.