New Zealand s biggest timber house needs more money to help with restoration stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The former State Insurance building in 2009, before it was damaged by the Canterbury earthquakes. The building is described as “highly significant” in the city s district plan, and is listed with Heritage New Zealand. It was included in the city council’s “Dirty 30” list of sites considered barriers to Christchurch s rebuild, but is now identified on the list as having “a commitment to action” from its owners. The building was sold for $6.5 million in 2017 by the estate of the late inventor and property developer John Britten, after a long insurance dispute over quake damage. The buyer, 119 Worcester Street Ltd, is owned by Wellington investors and directed by Christchurch property developers Callum Pithie and Zach Staples. They have indicated they plan to fully repair and renovate the building and reopen it as residential accommodation.