Old fire station gets new life as suburban shopping and hospitality hub

Thursday, 11 June 2026

An artist’s impression of a new shopping and hospitality complex to be built on the corner of Wairakei Rd and Wooldridge Rd in Harewood, Christchurch.

Several years since fire trucks last rolled out of Christchurch’s Harewood Fire Station, work is starting on a redevelopment to turn it into a neighbourhood shopping and hospitality centre.

The old fire station is on the corner of Wairakei and Wooldridge roads in Harewood.

It was replaced in 2021 by a new station in Ilam, with the Harewood firefighters transferring to the new facility.

The fire station has been unoccupied since a new station was built in Ilam in 2021.

The move was part of a $50 million construction programme to update and replace Christchurch fire stations following the earthquakes.

In October 2023 Fire and Emergency New Zealand sold the 1550m² Harewood property to Christchurch developer Jaxx Ltd. The site is adjacent to Canterbury Technology Park, and near Nunweek Park.

The company has done a wide range of small and medium commercial and residential property developments in the city’s suburbs, especially in the northwest. They include an upgrade of the Avonhead Mall.

The old fire station will be included in the new development.

Jaxx director Jack Lourie said they are making a start this week on the new centre, which is due to open by Christmas.

The project will create an L-shaped shopping centre, with a combination of new structures and retaining the existing fire house.

It will include outdoor seating areas, and car parking accessible from Wooldridge Rd.

The complex will have about five shops or food and drink tenancies, including some already leased.

The development aims to have about five shops or food and drink tenancies.

One business moving in will be cake maker Sweet Revenge, which already operates from Riverside in the central city.

Lourie said the development would be “something eclectic for the area”.

“The area is very under-serviced, particularly with good hospitality offerings, so we are seeing strong demand.”