12 Jun 2015

Town hall restoration 'sound investment'

1:34 pm on 12 June 2015

A historian who lobbied to save Christchurch Town Hall believes it is important the city's major civic space is protected.

The Christchurch City Council decided yesterday to fix the earthquake-damaged building.

All but one councillor voted for the restoration, which will cost $127 million.

Architectural historian Jessica Halliday said it was a sound investment to protect one of the country's most important builds of the 20th Century.

"It's our major civic space, you know we've played out our public lives in that building for 40 years and it really means a lot to those who've grown up with it who've been to concerts and to citizenship ceremonies to graduations ... and coral performances as children. It's a really meaningful building for many of us."

Mayor Lianne Dalziel Yesterday said the decision to restore the town hall made financial sense and was a fundamental decision that showed the council was committed to the city.

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