Councillor slams $2.5m decision to revamp central Christchurch footpath

Friday, 6 March 2026

About $2.5 million of ratepayer money will be spent sprucing up a 170m-long footpath in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square - that’s almost $15,000 a metre.

Councillor Yani Johanson condemned the move, saying the city council was deferring important surface flooding projects, yet spending $2.5m on a footpath outside a five-star hotel and a vacant site.

But other councillors said the public was crying out for the central business district to be revitalised and the work had to be done. The work was approved at a Christchurch City Council meeting on Wednesday.

The work involves repairing and widening a stretch of footpath, to 2.8m, on the northern side of Worcester Blvd from the Square to Oxford Tce. The area has not been touched since the 2011 earthquakes.

The area in front of the Sheraton Hotel on Oxford Tce will also receive work.

Changes would also have to be made to drainage and underground services to accommodate a new flush road and footpath surface, similar to that on the other side of the road.

Six trees would be also planted. Parking on Worcester Blvd would be removed too. Alterations would have to be made to the supports that hold the tram’s overhead power lines to make way for a roof being built over the hotel’s entrance.

The work will be done to coincide with the mid-2027 opening of the Sheraton.

The 14-storey tower, closed since the earthquakes, is undergoing a $150m renovation that will transform the former Noahs and Rydges hotel into the South Island's first Sheraton.

Johanson said he was concerned at the cost of the work, especially given the council’s financial situation.

He wanted the council to go with the “do minimum” option, which was not recommended by staff, but would allow the hotel to function and provide safe pedestrian access. This option would cost $500,000, but staff said it was likely to result in higher overall costs because the work would need to be done eventually and would cause greater disruption.

Councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt said the area needed to be revitalised. The council had heard that from the public for such a long time, he said.

“I have nothing but support for this item.”

He said with all the economic development coming into the area, it was really good to see the CBD getting revitalised again.

The money for the work was coming from an existing Cathedral Square budget, which had $14m available.