A proposed memorial park’s creation on council land is in limbo, after news of an earthquake-prone building reached the Waipuna Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board.
“…I visited the site yesterday and saw that the site is fenced-off and one wall has been tagged on a building at 374 Riccarton Road (formerly Spagalimis) that has been deemed earthquake-prone to only meet 20% or less of the New Building Standard. I assume this is what NBS stands for.
Please let me know where the project is at, whether 374 Riccarton Road poses a threat to the project and any other comment you'd like to make.”
The NZR to Riccarton Councillor, Tyla Harrison-Hunt.
Harrison-Hunt responded “I’ll get back to you on this. From what I understand its ready to go.”
The proposed site is located in Church Corner at 372 Riccarton Road and was formerly home to the Upper Riccarton War Memorial Library.
That building has been demolished in March 2024 to make way for the Upper Riccarton War Memorial Park.
According to a council worker, the responsibility for the land was transferred to Council parks, who completed a detailed public consultation last year.
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As far back as March 2022 the board asked staff to “investigate options for the development of the site as a memorial reserve.
In September 2023, Lewis & Barrow Limited engineers were engaged to complete a “detailed seismic assessment” of the neighbouring building (formerly Spagalimis restaurant). It is unclear whether the council required this report.
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They gave the building a D-rating and “an overall probable earthquake score of 24% NBS [National Building Standard]…”. The D-rating meant it presented “a high life safety risk”.
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