Media Release – December 20, 2012

Appointments Made For Work on first CBD anchor projects

Key anchor projects are set to begin taking shape in central Christchurch with the appointment of groups to design and develop the Avon River Precinct and North and East Frames.

After a rigorous tender process, a multi-company consortium led by Opus has been selected to design these projects, which are priorities in the Christchurch Central Recovery Plan to promote recreation, business growth and central city living for the people of greater Christchurch.

Impact Project Management has been chosen to carry out project management for the projects, and WT Partnership NZ Infrastructure Limited has been selected to carry out quantity surveying. The parties chosen will also provide work on flood management for the river.

Work will begin early in the new year on concept design for the projects, with physical construction of the projects to commence later in the year.

It is anticipated the projects will take three years to complete.

The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) is overseeing the projects, along with partners including the Christchurch City Council, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, and Environment Canterbury.

CERA chief executive Roger Sutton says the public’s ideas from the Christchurch City Council Share an Idea campaign in 2011 have flowed through to the Recovery Plan’s Blueprint for central Christchurch this year.

``With this step forward today, Christchurch residents can take heart that their hard work and their ideas are coming to fruition. We are now moving beyond the Blueprint. We are no longer planning, we are doing,’’ Mr Sutton says.

``Now we can look forward to the progress of 2013 - the year of the Christchurch rebuild - and starting to bring the new CBD to life.’’

ENDS

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