Waiting game for firms near Christchurch hotel

Authorities hope to name a demolition contractor for the hotel this week. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Businesses in the long shadow of Christchurch's doomed Hotel Grand Chancellor still have no idea how long it will be before the danger is over and they can get back into their buildings.

The 26-storey central city hotel has been on a lean and threatening to collapse since the February 22 earthquake, and has to be demolished. How that will be done, and how soon, is still to be determined.

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) said tenders had been sought for demolition proposals that will protect the car park and neighbouring buildings. Deconstructing the hotel piece by piece could take seven to 10 months, said Cera demolition manager Warwick Isaacs.

Hotel general manager Steve Martin said he hoped a contractor would be selected for the job this week. He was unwilling to put a timeframe on the demolition, saying the times quoted by different contractors were "reasonably varied".

"We are certainly very conscious we need to move quickly, and the sooner we get [the affected area] opened up, the better it will be for everybody."

Property group KPI Rothschild has two buildings in the hotel's "drop zone", and one on its edge, which are home to businesses that have been unable to get any access since the quake.

Spokesman Eamonn Stockman said it was impossible to say what the full impact would be on those businesses when no one knew yet how long it would be before the hotel no longer posed a threat.

Some businesses had moved into different premises. For others it was simply a "waiting game".

Mr Martin said it was expected that guests' belongings left in the hotel when the quake hit would be recovered.