Green light for Downtown apartments

Wednesday, 10 September 2025

The first resource consents have been issued for buildings in the Downtown development to be built in central Christchurch. (Artist’s impression)

Construction on central Christchurch’s new Downtown precinct should start early next year after the city council issued its first approvals for the project.

The $130 million development, led by the Peebles Group, will include collaboration by two housing developers that will put up an apartment building each.

Downtown will have 20 office, hospitality, retail and apartment buildings built around laneways and green spaces on the half-hectare block bordered by Manchester, Cashel and Lichfield streets and Hauora Ln.

City Investment Partners Two Ltd has recourse consent to put up this apartment buildings in the Downtown development in central Christchurch. (Artist’s impression)

It will be the first large-scale mixed-use development for the city.

The two housing development companies involved are Williams Corporation and City Investment Partners Two Ltd. The latter, headed by developer Ben Owen, has the Peebles Group as a minority shareholder.

Both now have resource consent.

Peebles said he expects his resource consent for his 18 commercial buildings will “pop out soon” and construction is due to start by June next year.

“We have been doing some tinkering with the plans, but we are very eager to start. We are hoping to do it all at once. My part of the project will take the longest.”

He said in choosing the apartment developers they looked for companies with a proven record for performing well.

Williams Corporation will be first out of the ground. Director Matthew Horncastle said they plan to be out of the ground in February or March and will have their building up in 12 months.

Richard Peebles’ company the Peebles Group is the main developer behind Downtown.

It will face Lichfield St and comprise 20 apartments, priced from about $600,000 to just under $1m.

Horncastle said they will start selling the apartments this month.

“They will sell very, very quickly because of the location and the amenities.

The apartment building planned by Williams Corporation for the Downtown precinct will be the first built on the block. (Artist’s impression)

“We are very happy that Richard and the Government selected us for one of those buildings. Once in a generation you get a opportunity like that.”

City Investment Partners Two Ltd’s apartment building will face Cashel St.

Owen said he had made some changes to the initial design “to be a bit more in keeping with the style of Downtown”, including adding a 300m² penthouse apartment.

Ben Owen says the design of his company’s apartment building will have a New York influence. (Artist’s impression)

He hopes to start construction in May. The $18.5m apartment building will include 18 apartments, priced at $600,000 to $1m, with a higher price for the penthouse.

All the homes will have balconies, and high-quality materials such as timber herringbone flooring, he said.

“It’s really getting into the downtown New York-style.

Downtown will have hospitality, retail, office and apartment buildings. The commercial and mixed-use buildings will be constructed and owned by the Peebles Group. (Artist’s impression)

“We’ve had an incredible amount of inquiry, without doing any advertising, from local people wanting to downsize or get a city pad, and from investors.

“There’s a lot of buy-in from the public. It’s an amazing opportunity to build it and I’m excited about the overall project.”

An artist's impression of the new Downtown development to be built in central Christchurch by the Peebles Group. (Still from youtube video)

The Downtown site is a vacant block in the city’s east frame, a Government anchor project aimed at helping repopulate the central city. The price the developers will pay the Crown for the land has not yet been revealed.

Owen’s company, Duo Group, has previously undertaken housing developments in the central city, St Albans and Phillipstown, while Williams Corporation has townhouse developments city-wide, including another under construction in the east frame.

Downtown’s commercial buildings will also have apartments on their top floors. In all, there will close to 90 homes in the complex.

The Peebles Group will retain ownership of its buildings and manage the complex, activating some of the outdoor space with markets and coffee carts.

It’s the same approach the company has taken with its Riverside complex, which it built and opened in 2019.

Leases have not yet been signed, but commercial tenants at Downtown will include flagship and premium retail stores, local artisans, and food and drink outlets, with spaces for both large and small office tenants.