Queensgate Mall update #3

Hutt City Council

Demolition of the northeastern area of Queensgate Shopping Centre damaged by the 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake will begin from 7:30am Monday 5 December, weather dependent.

This area is structurally a separate building to the rest of the centre and includes a section of car park and Event Cinemas Queensgate.

It will take just over two months to complete the demolition using long reach diggers and mobile cranes to bring the building down in stages.

At the end of each stage engineers will assess progress and the remaining risk to neighbouring businesses New World Hutt City supermarket and the restaurant and a conference area of The Angus Inn hotel, both closed on 24 November because of their proximity to the affected Queensgate building.

Demolition is weather dependent but if there are no weather interruptions it is likely New World Hutt City supermarket will reopen before Christmas. The restaurant and conference area of the Angus Inn hotel are likely to reopen in early February.

Council’s Chief Executive Tony Stallinger says the difference in reopening times is because the structure of the building is such that as it comes down the risk reduces more quickly on the Waterloo Road side of the cordon rather than the Bloomfield Terrace side.

“The demolition team will work as quickly as possible without compromising their safety or the safety of others.

“We know there will be dust and noise in the area while this work happens but it is necessary to get the job done as quickly as possible and we ask neighbours to please be patient.”

Hours of demolition will be 7.30am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday with some preparation work, such as warming up machinery, starting at 6.30am, and 9am to 4pm on Sundays. There will be no work on public holidays.

Naylor Love will complete the demolition on behalf of Queensgate Mall. The demolition will include all necessary and related health and safety measures, including traffic management, disconnection of services and removal of material.

The decision to demolish this building, part of the Queensgate Shopping Centre, comes after Hutt City Council issued a warrant on Friday 25 November under section 129 of the Building Act 2004 requiring the demolition.

More than 80 retail outlets in the centre reopened on Friday 25 November as well as 590 car park spaces. This area of the centre was assessed structurally sound by engineers and these outlets will remain open and operating to normal trading hours throughout the demolition.

Not all retail outlets in the centre are open as these are within the cordon around the affected building. These retail outlets have been assessed as structurally sound but will remain closed until after demolition when fire exits can be restored.