A central Christchurch heritage building, previously marked for demolition to create room for hotel development, is now for sale. After more than a decade of neglect, the quake-damaged Harley Chambers building has been on the city council’s “Dirty 30,” a list of sites considered a barrier to the city’s rebuild.
Owners Lee Pee Ltd planned to build a luxury hotel on the Harley site and on the adjacent land of heritage Worcester Chambers. After owning the Harley building since 2001 and buying Worcester Chambers in 2016, Lee Pee’s plan was stalled after the death of director Gerard McCoy in 2020.
The plan was to create a 150-room six-star hotel with eight levels featuring restaurants, shops, a gym, and underground valet parking. Worcester Chambers was to be linked to Harley by a glass atrium.
Savills, a real estate firm, is advertising the property in its current condition, and a new owner could reinstate the hotel development plan.
A spokesperson for Lee Pee Ltd stated they were confident a new owner might see potential in the buildings and were “looking forward to seeing them transformed”.
Built between 1929 and 1934, Harley Chambers is a three-storey neoclassical building in category two of Heritage New Zealand. Its history includes years of clinical devotion with medical, dental, and other health professionals working in the building.
Cecil Wood designed Worcester Chambers when it was built in 1927 with a Georgian revival facade. The entire sale covers a quarter of a hectare.
