Cathedral Square reopens as C'Church cordon ends

Cathedral Square reopens as C'Church cordon ends
By admin


The recovery of Christchurch took a significant step forward at the weekend as its iconic Cathedral Square was officially released from the rebuild cordon.

The area suffered serious damage in the earthquake of  February 22, 2011, when the Cathedral partially collapsed.

The Square’s reopening coincided with the launch of the Transitional Square project, which will see it installed with “vibrant” art installations, new seating and performance space. New public facilities will also be installed with the area to be regenerated with plants and vegetation.

Christchurch mayor Bob Parker announced the opening, which was followed by an afternoon of local music and performances.

“We can now start thinking inside the square and restoring it as a focal point of activity,” Parker said. “It is important we set the right tone in creating a welcoming area that represents the history of the Square and that is sympathetic to the scale of the disaster and the rebuild job ahead.”

Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism chief executive Tim Hunter descrived the revival of Cathedral Square as a major step in encouraging visitors to return.

“As the heart of Christchurch and the iconic image of our city, we are delighted that Cathedral Square will once again be buzzing with life and activity,” he said.

This is a major step forward for the city’s recovery and should give people further confidence to come back and visit.”

Last week, the New Zealand Defence Force ended its 857-deployment in the city, its longest ever domestic deployment, which saw soldiers man the cordon around Christchurch’s central city following the earthquake.

The end of the official cordon means large parts of the city are now open to the public.

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