Former Noahs Hotel site set to come back to life

Friday, 7 June 2024

It looks to be an impossible task to rejuvenate Christchurch’s old Rydges Hotel, tagged with graffiti and riddled with chips and cracks — but developers have set their sights on restoring it to its former glory.

It was “definitely possible” to save the building, Russell Property Group (RPG) managing director Brett Russell said.

“There’s no problem with strengthening it and bringing it back to life. We’ve done a fair few of these now. We do lots of hotels.”

RPG has structurally strengthened several buildings across the country, including successfully getting the Oxford Apartments off Christchurch’s “dirty 30” list and turning them into luxury accommodation.

The old Rydges Hotel, on the corner of Worcester Blvd and Oxford Tce, began as Noahs in the 1970s, and later became Rydges until the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes closed its doors and brought it to the attention of passers-by for all the wrong reasons.

Russell estimated the restoration would cost between $80 million and $100m, they hoped to open at the end of 2026.

He said it was great to use what was there instead of demolition.

“The greenest building you can do is saving a building.”

The redevelopment is a joint venture between RPG and Mainland Capital, a Christchurch-based commercial property investment firm.

Spanning 4879m² with frontage to the Avon River, the building would remain a premium quality hotel, and would host hospitality and retail too. The restoration involved stripping and reusing the building, “bringing it back to it’s former glory”, Mainland Capital director Ben Bridge said.

“It could have anything from offices, to retail to parking.”

He said as a local, he had heard many people reflect on fond memories had at the building, including weddings, parties and stays.

“It holds a lot of history for Christchurch and it’s an essential site in regenerating the CBD.”

The site was a gateway to the city, and complemented Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre — an “outstanding facility for Christchurch and New Zealand”, Bridge said.

“There’s definitely a shortage of appropriate accommodation for clients of the centre.”

Consenting, design and operator engagement was the next step. They wanted to find the right hotel brand for the premises, he said.

“It’s a bit of an eyesore [now], but its future is going to be an awesome addition to the cityscape.”