Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Container mall due to open

Updated at 2:52 pm on 21 October 2011

A shipping container mall is expected to open in Christchurch next week.

Much of the central city is still cordoned off due to the earthquake on 22 February, incuding the main shopping area of Cashel Mall, where about three-quarters of the buildings have been demolished.

The area is now busy with construction workers putting the finishing touches to the site to transform more than 70 shipping containers into a retail centre.

The mall is being built with an interest-free loan of $3.36 million from the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

Chair of the project John Suckling says there have been individual shops using shipping containers before, but he believes this is the first time they have been used for a mall.

The new retail site is due to open next Saturday, in time for Canterbury Anniversary Day and the Cup and Show Week celebrations.

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