Isaac Construction rebuilding New Brighton’s mall in $4.2m council upgrade

Christchurch City Council’s $4.2 million upgrade of Brighton Mall in New Brighton is under way. Isaac Construction won the construction contract and started on site in late August, according to a staff report to the Waitai Coastal-Burwood-Linwood Community Board.

New Brighton is the seaside suburb on Christchurch’s eastern edge, and the mall is the pedestrian strip in its commercial core, linking local shops with Marine Parade, the beach and the pier. The council’s 2015 New Brighton Centre Masterplan named it a priority for renewal, to support the town centre’s regeneration and encourage private development.

The council said in April the job would take about 12 weeks. Staff told the board in September that the project was within budget, and the October report said the works remain on schedule for early December 2026.

What’s going in

The staff report that went to the board in April sets out the scope. Unit pavers replace the existing asphalt, linking the pedestrian section through to Marine Parade and the foreshore. Ten of the mall’s 12 Phoenix palms stay, each ringed by a bespoke concrete planter with seating, irrigation and extra planting.

Below ground, a new wastewater line runs down the centre of the mall. It replaces ageing pipes that are reached through easements on private land, some of them under buildings, which the report describes as in relatively poor condition. The council’s 3 Waters Unit is funding that part, and staff say it gives developers confidence that reliable services are in place for redevelopment.

The grated stormwater drain is being upgraded for more capacity. New street light poles lift lighting levels and carry feature lighting for the palms plus police crime prevention cameras. New bins with double the capacity of the old ones, moveable cycle stands, a drinking fountain and signage round out the list.

Two palms are coming out to make room for a central gathering area beside the Village Green, the community space developed by the Greater New Brighton Charitable Trust. Cultural artwork referencing the mall’s gifted name, Te Ara Kuaka, the pathway of the godwit, will be vapour-blasted into the surfacing there. Council arborists will decide whether the two palms can be moved once the surface around them is lifted and the roots can be checked.

Budget, tender and access

The council budgeted $4.2 million through its Long Term Plan 2024 to 2034, and the estimate carries a 20% contingency on construction items. Staff told the board that keeping disruption down for businesses and the New Brighton Seaside Market was written into the tender information and scored in the tender evaluation. The market has moved to the New Brighton Club car park while the work goes on.

The full council has also changed how the mall can be used. In May it revoked the 1981 special order that made Brighton Mall a pedestrian mall and declared it a shared zone, so bikes, scooters and skateboards are allowed through. Motor vehicles stay restricted to emergency vehicles, council cleaning and maintenance vehicles, and goods vehicles making deliveries of up to 10 minutes between 5am and 11am.

Traffic runs one way, eastbound, and the council set a 10km/h limit, replacing 30km/h, subject to approval from the Director of Land Transport. Those changes followed consultation that drew 378 submissions. According to the staff report, 83% supported the central gathering area and 71% backed the shared zone.

Building next door

Martini Investments, the developer behind the Pierside project, owns more than 12 properties bordering the mall, according to the staff report. The council says it’s working with Martini, the Greater New Brighton Charitable Trust and ChristchurchNZ so public and private projects fit together.

For anyone working on those neighbouring sites, the report flags one risk directly. The new paving and fittings go in ahead of the developments next door, so staff expect developers to repair or pay for any damage before they leave site, a condition to be handled through consenting. The paving has also been kept clear of the proposed Oram Avenue north-south corridor, so it won’t need ripping up if that project goes ahead.

Board chairperson Paul McMahon said the council had had the refresh “in the works for a decade now”. The Seaside Market is set to stay in its temporary home until 2027, and the October board report puts the mall works on track for completion in early December.