The ‘eyesore’ building holding back a mall

Tuesday, 23 July 2024

Retailers in Bishopdale Village Mall say the former Mitre 10 building that has appeared to sit empty for several years is holding back the mall’s potential to welcome more customers.

Retailers are calling a seemingly empty building “dangerous”, “a waste of space”, and an “eyesore” — and say it’s holding back the potential of one of Christchurch’s first malls.

Bishopdale Village Mall has been in the community since the 1960s, once hosting stores including Whitcoulls, travel agents, a bank, Ara tertiary education, and Farmers.

When Farmers vacated its purpose-built premises, Mitre 10 moved in, continuing to bring foot traffic and customers to the area.

But store managers and owners say since Mitre 10 left in 2016, nothing has been done to restore it to the drawcard it used to be.

“It’s an eyesore,” Brew HQ Bishopdale owner Mark Pedersen said.

Brew HQ owner Mark Pedersen is working with Dove Bookshop owner Morris North to get a regular market off the ground to entice people, and potential buyers of the old Mitre 10 building.

“It sitting there, is a reminder of when things were better, and turned a wrong corner.”

Pedersen moved into the mall nearly a year ago after seeing “a flood of opportunities”, including being the perfect spot for a regular market to entice customers to the area and motivate a buyer for the unkempt building.

“It would be an absolutely stunning location,” he said, a concept he was looking into with Dove Bookshop Bishopdale manager Morris North.

The Toy Collector owners Hayden Preston, left, and Eugene Kingi like the area they recently moved into, but say the old building is “dangerous”, a “waste of space” and “terrible”.

The mall’s large car parks, wide thoroughfare and undercover walkways were all aspects conducive to running a market, he said.

“Somebody needs to take the bull by the horns.”

North said they were “researching the possibilities” of getting a market off the ground.

Pedersen says this part of the mall would be perfect for a market with its wide thoroughfare and undercover walkway.

“Bishopdale is ripe for a market.

“We haven’t got down to the nitty-gritty detail planning yet as we still need to talk to the council.”

New World, Unichem Pharmacy, Peter Timbs, the library and the NZ Post Shop were all credited by the retailers as being the heart of the mall, while destination shops - including Brew HQ, the gold exchange and My Men’s Store — brought in customers from outside the area.

The Toy Collector owners Hayden Preston and Eugene Kingi relocated from Manchester St about four months ago for the more affordable rent.

My Favourite Things owner Mary Axcell says the old “eyesore” building is holding back the rest of the mall.

“It’s not a bad area, we like it,” Kingi said.

Customers came from all over Christchurch to visit their store, but more foot traffic wouldn’t go astray, Preston said; and that could be aided by filling the old Mitre 10 building.

It was a “waste of space”, Kingi said, and “dangerous” to pedestrians.

“I walked past the other day and some of the verandah roof had come off, it was just lying on the footpath.”

Fewer people walk through the mall where destination shops bring people in for a specific purpose, including the pre-loved book shop, the gold exchange, toy collector store, and brewing supplies shop.

“It’s terrible,” Preston said.

My Favourite Things owner Mary Axcell has been in the mall for nearly two years.

She agreed the ugly “big block” was holding retailers back.

“It detracts from the vibe of the mall. We can’t do anything about it.”

Retailers including the pharmacy, butchery and supermarket bring plenty of customers to the mall, but the destination stores, hidden in the heart of the mall, say they’re missing out on foot traffic due to the seemingly empty former Mitre 10 building.

The Christchurch City Council received an application for resource consent in March 2023 to turn the building into a multi-purpose commercial development capable of hosting offices, retailers and hospitality.

Plans for the renovation included making the building visually attractive from all angles by installing windows and having a central atrium surrounded by two floors of space for businesses.

The application was accepted in June last year.

The building is owned by Doug Spence, a Christchurch businessman who owns more than a dozen properties across the South Island.

He had “no comment” when contacted by The Press.

The old, undeveloped building was “the biggest challenge” for retailers in the mall, Bishopdale Community Trust development manager Dawn Hastings said.

“There’s been regular talks of them renovating it and putting in eateries, or medical places but they can’t quite get enough businesses to sign on the line.”

She said it was the most common chatter around the mall: “Does anyone know what’s happening with Mitre 10?

“Everybody will go hurray when something happens.”

The mall was not dependent on the building though, she said.

“It’s never going to be the same as a covered mall [but] it doesn’t mean it can’t continue to exist. It’s unique.”