NPDC is closing the Downtown Car Park indefinitely from 19 December after it was found to be earthquake prone.

A detailed seismic assessment report last month classed the building as “high risk” because it met 20 to 34 per cent of the new building standards (NBS) brought in since the Christchurch earthquakes.

“We’re sorry for the inconvenience this will cause. The Downtown Car Park is well-used by workers and shoppers in the central city, but public safety always comes first, so we’ve moved quickly to close it,” says NPDC Group Manager Corporate Services Joy Buckingham.

NPDC is offering car park licence-holders refunds, and will work with them to find other parking options if needed.

The seven-storey car park, which fronts on to Powderham Street, was built in the late 1980s in line with the standards and building codes of the time.

NPDC officers looked at proposals to bring it up to the 67 per cent of the NBS needed to keep it operating, but decided to review the future of the building once the City Centre Strategy is finished next year.

The strategy will provide a road map for keeping the city centre vibrant and sustainable over the next 30 years.

The Downtown Car Park joins on to the Metro Plaza building, which NPDC bought last year with a view to developing an inner city “green corridor” along the Huatoki Stream.

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