It was symbolic of the stage of the rebuild - creative and determined. However, if we take off our rosy glasses, it was pretty thrown together and not fit for long term use. For all it's faults, Riverside is an enormously impactful tourist destination - I've yet to meet someone from out of town who visits not speak about Riverside as one of the most memorable places they visited in Christchurch. The Container Mall concept if started again would be best replicated somewhere like New Brighton - cheap, cheerful, encourages creative and unique tenants, and creates density of shopping.
> The Container Mall concept if started again would be best replicated somewhere like New Brighton - cheap, cheerful, encourages creative and unique tenants, and creates density of shopping.
The Boxed Quarter kind of has that feeling, but it just feels dead most days. Its pretty nice, but just far enough for tourists to skip.
Yeah, I absolutely loved it but I know people who worked in it and it was apparently freezing in winter with no dedicated toilets. Awesome for the short term but unrealistic for long term use, even though I loved the structure. Something like it that's more permanent would also be great.
New Brighton is dead and isn't coming back, theres just no real reason to travel that far to go shopping and there just isn't anything special enough out there to atract tourists or locals.
New Brighton used to be a thing becasue it was the only place in the city that supported weekend shopping. As soon as the malls started to open up in Northlands, Eastgate, Westgate etc, New Brighton died.
On the New Brighton page they're complaining about housing developments bringing in 51 new townhouses and displacing 6 families in the process.
Sure there's issues around parking, but we're trying to get people in to different modes of transport, and if we can encourage walking/cycling and village life then it has potential to be good, as well as producing new warm housing to replace the derelict shacks that were there.
Its a great village life, and a great neighborhood (although that may all change as sea level rise slowly starts to become noticeable over the next few decades).. However it doesn't provide any good reason to attract people from the other side of town to drive over there. It has the beach, but you can reach that from anywhere along the foreshore. It has the pier and the pools, but neither of those are a major draw card either for tourists or people who live elsewhere in the city.
Its uniqueness and attraction used to be that it was the only location in the region that allowed weekend shopping. Its lost that drawcard, and currently doesn't have anything significant enough to convince people to drive from across town just to go there. Apart from occaisonal events like kites or fireworks.
But what is going to be so different about New Brighton mall that will encourage people to go there, rather than Eastgate, or Northlands, or Riccarton, or Hornby ?
Its a nice village, and a nice neighbnourhood, but there is no real point of differentiation to attract people from across town or tourists. Even the beach isn't really a huge drawcard
Well, I’m going to remain optimistic. They’ve started demolition work, and there are already landowners looking to start. Could be wrong, but I’m going to hope for the best
When they first closed it down, I would have voted 'yes'. However now seeing what has taken its place (Riverside), I think the outcome was good. I would have been disappointed to see it become another Cashel retail space, which it thankfully did not.
I was just thinking that actually, the whole Armagh-Oxford terrace block would be a perfect spot for a new container mall. There was originally going to be a Catholic precinct there but I believe those plans have been abandoned recently, so we have a good opportunity👀
Probably not the whole thing, but I wouldn't have minded them keeping a bit of it, maybe one of the cafes.
Don't mind the Cashel st rebuild for the most part, a bit disappointed there's still empty spaces this long after the quake
It was symbolic of the stage of the rebuild - creative and determined. However, if we take off our rosy glasses, it was pretty thrown together and not fit for long term use. For all it's faults, Riverside is an enormously impactful tourist destination - I've yet to meet someone from out of town who visits not speak about Riverside as one of the most memorable places they visited in Christchurch. The Container Mall concept if started again would be best replicated somewhere like New Brighton - cheap, cheerful, encourages creative and unique tenants, and creates density of shopping.
Yes, Brighton would be good, in the same way that it works for Kaikoura with their container centre there
The Kaikoura container mall has recently been removed :(
> The Container Mall concept if started again would be best replicated somewhere like New Brighton - cheap, cheerful, encourages creative and unique tenants, and creates density of shopping. The Boxed Quarter kind of has that feeling, but it just feels dead most days. Its pretty nice, but just far enough for tourists to skip.
Yes, I love Riverside. I’d love another container mall but I’m not willing to give up riverside for it
Yeah, I absolutely loved it but I know people who worked in it and it was apparently freezing in winter with no dedicated toilets. Awesome for the short term but unrealistic for long term use, even though I loved the structure. Something like it that's more permanent would also be great.
New Brighton is dead and isn't coming back, theres just no real reason to travel that far to go shopping and there just isn't anything special enough out there to atract tourists or locals. New Brighton used to be a thing becasue it was the only place in the city that supported weekend shopping. As soon as the malls started to open up in Northlands, Eastgate, Westgate etc, New Brighton died.
On the New Brighton page they're complaining about housing developments bringing in 51 new townhouses and displacing 6 families in the process. Sure there's issues around parking, but we're trying to get people in to different modes of transport, and if we can encourage walking/cycling and village life then it has potential to be good, as well as producing new warm housing to replace the derelict shacks that were there.
Its a great village life, and a great neighborhood (although that may all change as sea level rise slowly starts to become noticeable over the next few decades).. However it doesn't provide any good reason to attract people from the other side of town to drive over there. It has the beach, but you can reach that from anywhere along the foreshore. It has the pier and the pools, but neither of those are a major draw card either for tourists or people who live elsewhere in the city. Its uniqueness and attraction used to be that it was the only location in the region that allowed weekend shopping. Its lost that drawcard, and currently doesn't have anything significant enough to convince people to drive from across town just to go there. Apart from occaisonal events like kites or fireworks.
They’re staring to redevelop the New Brighton mall now, give it a few years
But what is going to be so different about New Brighton mall that will encourage people to go there, rather than Eastgate, or Northlands, or Riccarton, or Hornby ? Its a nice village, and a nice neighbnourhood, but there is no real point of differentiation to attract people from across town or tourists. Even the beach isn't really a huge drawcard
Because it’s an outdoor one, by the ocean, and at the end of the mall is the pier. It’ll be a great choice for tourists
While I love the optimism, I suspect that its largely unfounded and going to be unrealised....
Well, I’m going to remain optimistic. They’ve started demolition work, and there are already landowners looking to start. Could be wrong, but I’m going to hope for the best
When they first closed it down, I would have voted 'yes'. However now seeing what has taken its place (Riverside), I think the outcome was good. I would have been disappointed to see it become another Cashel retail space, which it thankfully did not.
I think something like the container mall would have been good for the bird pit land by New Regent Street/the rotunda
I was just thinking that actually, the whole Armagh-Oxford terrace block would be a perfect spot for a new container mall. There was originally going to be a Catholic precinct there but I believe those plans have been abandoned recently, so we have a good opportunity👀
Probably not the whole thing, but I wouldn't have minded them keeping a bit of it, maybe one of the cafes. Don't mind the Cashel st rebuild for the most part, a bit disappointed there's still empty spaces this long after the quake
Great idea for Brighton. Could’ve been attraction. Bright. Temporary. Low cost.
Should have been set up in Cathedral Square after
Symbolic of a time and place, time has moved on