Burning Questions: Will The Dux de Lux Be Restored?

The NZR interviews Arts Centre Director Philip Aldridge. He explains why the Redux redevelopment fell through and the challenges going forward.

There are two questions that burn bright over the restoration of the historic Christchurch landmark the Dux de Lux: what happened to the 2022 Redux plans to revamp the former central city watering hole and could they still be revived?

Pictured: The Dux de Lux, February 2024

In 2022, the Arts Centre Board rejected the plans of property developers Sean Stockman, Tim Weston and James Stewart (known collectively as Redux) to restore the rundown former bar and restaurant. The group had proposed a rent-free 50-year lease of the Dux, and on the surface the idea had merit.

The Redux request for a half-century lease was the basis of the Arts Centre’s decision, wrote local media. Simply put, this part of the proposal made the deal commercially unviable.

But Aldridge’s viewpoint was more nuanced. He confirmed the flaws in the Redux proposal went deeper than the attempt to tie up the board in half-century duration. A lack of hospitality experience amongst the trio was but one factor. Aldridge was emphatic. The hopes of a deal with Redux were dead in the water.

So what next the Dux?