Convention centre goes for green
The Christchurch convention centre will be green.
The Christchurch convention centre will be green.
Whenever it comes to pass, Christchurch’s new convention centre will incorporate the latest “green” principles.
Christchurch Central Development Unit director Warwick Isaacs says he has commissioned the NZ Green Building Council to help in the design of a new convention centre, bus interchange, and metro sports stadium.
Most construction projects incorporate "green" principles as a matter of best practice but the highest green ratings include high Australian-inspired specifications in relation to power savings and water conservation.
Four construction teams, including companies based in New Zealand and overseas, have been short-listed for “Early Contractor Involvement services” for the new Christchurch convention centre project.
They were selected in December from a short list of firms which responded to a call for expressions of interest.
The selection process was handled by the preferred development consortium, Plenary Conventions NZ.
The next step will be a request for proposal to those on the short-list, from which one construction team will be selected.
The long process is scheduled to see construction start some time later this year.
Based on construction lead times, Christchurch’s convention centre may be due for completion sometime in late 2017 or 2018.
It will then vie with new convention centres in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown which are also due for completion about the same time.