Wellington shop forced out by council demolition

Monday, 10 June 2024

Caffeinated Dragon Games owner Rhys Kaan is among business owners facing extended road works that have been offered council support but are dubious about it.

Rhys Kaan has suffered through the noise, dust and shaking as Wellington’s library gets rebuilt across the road but the latest council project has him asking for donations to move elsewhere.

Kaan, who owns games shop and cafe Caffeinated Dragon on Victoria St, confirmed he was now sizing up new locations as the council is about to start work on demolishing the Civic Administration Building (CAB) up the road.

Work on earthquake strengthening the central library, which started in December 2022, has already been so noisy and dusty that staff have gone home with headaches and nausea. There have been days the shelves shake, and some that he has been on the verge of closing early.

On Friday the council confirmed it was starting work on demolishing the CAB, next to the library, in late June.

Rhys Kaan is fundraising to move his shop away from the noise, shaking and dust from council works.

For Kaan it was the final straw and, with little in the way of help from the Wellington City Council, which owns the library and CAB, he has set up a Givealittle page in an attempt to find $30,000 to help with the move.

Kaan has previously slammed the help offered by the council to businesses struggling from the works. the help amounted to management training, social media use and putting up signs to remind people they are there, he said.

“How is management training going to help? We are literally shaking.”

The library work had led to a “significant” drop in his business while work on strengthening the nearby Town Hall has also had an effect.

But the CAB work would mean three projects in a row with the associated noise, dust, and shaking. He previously looked at moving but found all options around the city were too small, too expensive, or in the wrong location.

But he said he had now found a likely location on Manners St.

While preparation work on demolishing the six-storey CAB building is already under way, the impacts on public and nearby businesses will get more severe from late June when actual demolition starts through to when it ends in December.

Wakefield St, between Victoria and Cuba streets, will be closed to through traffic for a period as well the Victoria St entrance to Te Ngākau Civic Square, the council said.