Wednesday 13 July 2016

Risingholme from the ashes

The historic Risingholme Community Centre in Opawa, recently damaged by fire, is to be rebuilt and restored from early 2017.

The 152-year-old heritage building on Cholmondeley Avenue was badly damaged in an arson attack in early June, just as Christchurch City Council was preparing to seek tenders for the repair and strengthening work needed to fix the damage the building suffered in the earthquakes.

The fire spread through the roof and top storey of the heritage-listed building, causing so much damage that part of the upstairs has had to be deconstructed.

“The fire was upsetting, but not demoralising,” says Richie Moyle, the Council’s Heritage Programme Manager.

“We’re determined to return Risingholme to the community as soon as we can, so we’re moving quickly – within 6–8 months, we’ll have updated our designs to include remediation of the fire damage, gotten all the consents we’ll need to start work on site, and settled the insurance claim for the fire.”

The Council’s insurance claim for the damage caused by the fire had been accepted by its insurer but a settlement had yet to be agreed. The centre had been insured for $5 million.

“We’re keen to restore Risingholme to its pre-quake glory, and taking the time to get everything in place will mean the job is thorough as well as fast,” Mr Moyle says.

The building has been wrapped to protect it from the elements and to prevent any further damage. All the loose and fire-damaged material has been removed from the building.

Prior to the earthquakes Risingholme Community Centre was used for a range of community education and school programmes.

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