New Regent Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Regent Street |
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Looking south along New Regent Street in 2010
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| General information | |
| Type | Terrace shops |
| Architectural style | Spanish Mission architecture |
| Location | Christchurch Central City |
| Address | New Regent Street |
| Town or city | Christchurch |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 43°31′45.35″S 172°38′19.39″E / 43.5292639°S 172.6387194°E |
| Elevation | 9 m |
| Current tenants | 40 buildings individually tenanted |
| Construction started | 1931 |
| Completed | 1 April 1932 |
| Renovated | 2012/13 |
| Client | Arthur Francis Stacey (1888–1952) for Regent Street Ltd |
| Owner | 40 buildings individually owned |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | two |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Francis Willis |
| Main contractor | P. Graham and Son, Limited |
| Designated: | 28 June 1990 |
| Reference #: | 4385 |
New Regent Street is a special street in Christchurch, New Zealand. It's a pedestrian mall, meaning only people can walk there, not cars. It was built in the early 1930s and has 40 shops. The buildings are designed in a unique style called Spanish Mission architecture.
This street is one of Christchurch's main attractions for visitors. Building many small shops together like this was a very new idea back then. New Regent Street is even seen as an early example of what we now call modern shopping malls. Because all the buildings look similar and have a special style, they are protected as important heritage sites by Heritage New Zealand. The entire street is also listed as a historic area.
In 1994, the street was closed to cars to get ready for the Christchurch heritage tram. The tram started running in February 1995. Sadly, the street and its buildings were damaged during the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. After repairs, the street reopened in April 2013, and the tram returned in November of that year. After another earthquake in 2016, some buildings had to be closed off, which temporarily stopped the tram from running its usual route.
Contents
Where is New Regent Street?
New Regent Street is located right in the middle of the Christchurch Central City. It runs from north to south, connecting Armagh Street at one end and Gloucester Street at the other. Cathedral Square, which is the very center of Christchurch, is just one block away to the south-west.
Before New Regent Street was built, this area was known as "The Circus paddock." This is because traveling circuses used to set up their shows there. Later, in 1888, a building called the Colosseum was built on the land. The Colosseum was used for many things over the years. It started as an ice skating rink, then became a boot factory. For a while, it was even a place where taxis waited for customers. In 1908, it became Christchurch's very first movie theater! The Colosseum was taken down in January 1931 to make way for New Regent Street.
A Look at History
Becoming a Pedestrian Street
In 1986, cars could only drive one way on New Regent Street. This rule lasted for eight years. Then, in 1994, the street was completely closed to traffic. It was turned into a pedestrian mall to prepare for the return of the Christchurch tram.
At first, the plan was for the tram to go back and forth on Worcester Street. But the plans changed, and a loop was created instead. This loop included Rolleston Avenue, Armagh Street, New Regent Street, and the area known as Cathedral Junction. The tram officially started running on 4 February 1995.
Earthquake Damage and Repairs
The buildings on New Regent Street were damaged during the big earthquake on 22 February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The entire city center was closed off, so people couldn't go there. Repairs to the street and buildings cost about NZ$3,000,000.
New Regent Street was supposed to reopen in December 2012. But the opening was delayed several times, first to February 2013, then March. It finally opened on Saturday, 20 April 2013. When it reopened, only five of the shops were ready for business. Many other shops were still being prepared or waiting for tenants.
Five of the buildings on the street had not been repaired or made stronger against earthquakes. After a lot of discussion, the owner agreed to strengthen two of these buildings. This allowed safety fences to be removed from New Regent Street in December 2013.
The tram started running again in November 2013. At first, it only went from New Regent Street to Worcester Boulevard because the tracks on Armagh Street still needed fixing. In November 2014, the full tram loop, which was used before the earthquake, reopened. Some shop owners on New Regent Street say that about half of their customers arrive by tram.
After another earthquake on Valentine's Day in 2016, five properties on New Regent Street were closed off. This was because their fronts were at risk of falling down. This stopped the tram from using its usual route through the pedestrian mall. Later, two more properties not owned by the same person were also closed off.
The tram operator said that the tram had brought 100,000 customers to New Regent Street during the summer of 2015/16. The head of Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism was worried that the problem with these few buildings would make the city seem unfriendly to visitors. Businesses on the street said that sales were "disappointing" while the tram wasn't running. Luckily, the barriers were removed, and the tram started operating again on 1 May 2016.
Protecting its Heritage
The buildings on New Regent Street are very important. They were officially listed as Category I heritage items by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust on 28 June 1990. This means they are of great historical importance. The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is now called Heritage New Zealand.
On 27 October 1994, the entire street was also registered as a historic area. This means the whole street, not just the buildings, is protected because of its history. The buildings are also listed in the Christchurch District Plan as important heritage buildings.
Images for kids
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Arthur Stacey, the person who had the idea for New Regent Street
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Francis Willis, the architect who designed New Regent Street
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New Regent Street during the Matariki celebrations (June 2021)
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