New Zealand’s most famous sporting arena could be demolished in controlled blast.
The long reign of Lancaster Park – home of the Crusaders rugby union team – may come to a quick and explosive end. The stadium – which has played host to cricket, rugby and concerts by the liked of Bon Jovi, U2 and Tina Turner – is currently closed due to damage sustained in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
The derelict stadium east of central Christchurch will likely be demolished, following a report suggesting it would cost around $265 million to repair. It would be “uneconomic” to repair, Christchurch city mayor Lianne Dalziel said last week.
With demolition options now being considered, one contractor is eyeing it up for implosion – an effective and spectacular way to bring the beloved stadium’s life to an end.
“It’s a lot quicker, the job’s over and done with… The whole thing would be on the ground in a couple of minutes,” said Bernie de Vere, Ceres NZ head of corporate property. “You could have the building down, the site cleaned up and the site being reused for something a lot quicker.”
The stadium could become the third – and likely the most well-known – New Zealand building to be imploded.
Ceres NZ had previously imploded the Radio Network House in 2012, followed by the Christchurch Police station in 2015. Both events were popular and attracted hundreds of spectators.
Demolition options are scheduled to be presented to councillors in March.
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