More than just derelict buildings holding back New Brighton, say ‘dirty half-dozen’ owners

Monday, 25 May 2026

Owners of properties on New Brighton’s “dirty half-dozen” list of problem sites say bigger issues than boarded-up sites are holding the area back.

Last week Christchurch City Council issued a name-and shame list of six eyesore properties it said are hampering progress in the seaside suburb.

The properties are at numbers 52, 81, 96, and 101 Brighton Mall, 110-114 Seaview Rd, and the Hawke St car park, which spreads across several titles.

Council case management and relationships team leader Jo Anderson said the vacant or underused properties appear untidy or in need of improvement. Most have been graffitied.

Anderson said these “barrier sites”, similar to the central city’s “Dirty 30” list, can discourage investment and development, and influence how people feel about the area.

Some of the owners were unaware of the list when contacted by The Press.

But in one major development, the owners of the derelict SaveMart building at 52 Brighton Mall plan to have the site revitalised before the coming summer.

101 New Brighton Mall

Auckland property developer and investor NJM1 bought the vacant site at 101 Brighton Mall 10 years ago and director Nicolaas Kotze said they have made several unsuccessful attempts to develop apartments and commercial premises.

“Construction in general has got all sorts of challenges in terms of costs. We are in out sixth iteration looking for something that will be profitable for banks and developers to construct.

“We’re running the numbers. It is difficult in terms of costs to bring something to New Brighton.”

Their latest plan is for apartments only, as “there’s oodles of commercial space available in Brighton that’s under-utilised”.

Kotze said any type of council penalty for lack of action would would be unfair “for people like myself with a real intention to develop, but I can understand it if people are landbanking”. He conceded the site was “not as tidy as I’d like”.

110 to 114 Seaview Rd

Christchurch investor Denis Harwood owns 110 to 114 Seaview Rd, which once held a supermarket, and hopes another one can be built there.

The building has boarded-up windows and bears street art and grafitti. Harwood said it is now used mostly for storage, but he has happily let local street artists put murals on it.

“We just keep it locked up most of the time.”

Harwood said uncertainty about climate change zoning makes redevelopment planning in the area difficult.

Harwood also owns a boarded-up central city office building, and two old surfer flats on the Sumner Esplanade he wants to redevelop.

96 New Brighton Mall

Martini Investments, owned by Christchurch’s Harris family, have been buying up properties along the mall and already have Southpaw Brewery Company and the Village Green as tenants.

One of their 13 sites, number 96 is on the council’s list.

Director Robbie Harris said they intend to develop the recent purchase as part of their Brighton “mini-master plan” which includes a service hub with a new supermarket, and a hospitality precinct.

Owners do not want to waste money on upgrading buildings that will eventually be redeveloped, he said.

Harris said Brighton’s issues are structural, with many small property owners sitting on under-used sites waiting for the suburb to fulfil its potential.

Some feel let down because the council’s own masterplan was not fully realised, he said.

He said curated areas such as Riverside in the central city show the benefits of collaboration and master planning.

“Everyone knows the potential here, and and no-one wants to miss out on the opportunity, so people don’t want to sell. Some people think they can do something on their own, but the owners need to work together.”

Harris said the commercial area became too spread out during last century’s Saturday shopping boom, and land further back from the beach should be rezoned for housing.

81 Brighton Mall

The vacant building at 81 Brighton Mall housed a surfwear shop until the earthquakes.

It is owned by Vicki and Adrian Campbell of Timaru, whose veterinary business Vetlife has premises behind the property.

Campbell was surprised to be on the list, and said Vetlife has a large number of properties and they had done what the council wanted at New Brighton.

SaveMart, 52 New Brighton Mall

Grant Doonan’s clothing recycling business Save Mart still owns their now-closed store at 52 Brighton Mall, and rejected council attempts to buy it for a plan to extend Oram Ave and create a sheltered shopping area.

Local community board member Alex Hewson recently said the building’s owners were holding the suburb to ransom and the building should be demolished.

Doonan said they were about to apply for building consent “and hope to have the premises revitalised before the coming summer”. He did not elaborate on the plans.

“The recent efforts of council and that of the Harris Family with their vision for New Brighton are in keeping with our own, and these improvements have initiated a more positive outlook for the mall and the community,” he said.

“I see further development within New Brighton only increasing.”

Hawke St car park

The car park has long been marred by potholes, which become puddles in the rain.

Retailers in the area have in the past called it neglected and an “eye sore” that turned customers away, but felt the many different private owners made it difficult to effect change.