Plans to remove quake-hit Grand Chancellor please struggling firms

Dismantling the Grand Chancellor will take months. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Christchurch's struggling business community is welcoming a plan for demolishing the city's earthquake-damaged Hotel Grand Chancellor.

It was announced yesterday that the city's tallest building will be pulled down one storey at a time and be completely demolished within a year.

It is expected that within five months it will be brought down to a "safe level" - removing the risk of it collapsing on to surrounding streets, and giving threatened businesses the chance to reopen.

The 26-storey hotel has been on an ominous lean since the February 22 quake that killed 181 people. Fletcher Construction will lead the demolition. The cost, borne by the hotel owner and its insurers, is not disclosed.

"This will be the largest demolition ever carried out in New Zealand," said Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee.

"It's also hugely symbolic for the people of Christchurch that the recovery process is well under way. The expectation is that [in] five months it should be substantially down and at that point much more of the surrounding district will be able to be opened up."

Jade Creative, an IT firm whose undamaged offices are in the hotel's "drop zone", is looking forward to getting access again in the next few months.

"For the first time we have got a timeframe in place - we have got to be happy with that," said owner Patrick Porter.

Although the firm has been able to operate elsewhere since the quake, its central city offices were the ideal accommodation. Mr Porter saw it as a "massive advantage" to be in the CBD.

"How often do you get the chance to be involved in the rebuild of a city?"

Central City Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale said it was great news that businesses had a timeframe to plan around.

Under project Re:Start 29.10.11, it is already planned to have an area based around City Mall opened again in time for Canterbury's party season in November.

Mr Lonsdale said the reopening of businesses threatened by the Hotel Grand Chancellor would fit in nicely.

"It just means we can get more businesses up and operating out of good building stock."

Fletcher Construction demolition manager Adrian Jonkers could not provide a guarantee that buildings neighbouring the hotel would not be damaged in the demolition.

Mr Brownlee said almost 500 quake-damaged buildings had so far been approved for demolition in Christchurch, and about 900 would eventually have to be knocked down.

Frank Delli Cicchi, the Australasian general manager for the hotel chain that owns the Hotel Grand Chancellor, said the company's intention was to rebuild another hotel in Christchurch. Whether it could be on the same site was unclear.

Meanwhile, the Government has approved the fast-tracking of a 10ha reclamation of Lyttelton Port using rubble from the earthquakes. The consent will enable about one million tonnes of rubble to be used.

DEMOLITION TIMEFRAME

NOW
The 26-storey Hotel Grand Chancellor is being reviewed by engineers for safety.

IN 6-7 WEEKS
Workers will enter the building to develop a demolition plan.

THEN ...
A tall crane will be used to "deconstruct" the hotel storey by storey from the top down.

Once it is down to about the 14th storey, high-reach diggers can be used to "nibble" away at the structure and complete the demolition.

SEPT-OCT-NOV
Businesses around the building will be able to re-enter their properties.

10 MONTHS' TIME
The main demolition is expected to be complete.