The Dux de Lux pub in Christchurch could be set to open its doors again in the next few years if enough money can be raised to restore it.
The Dux de Lux on the corner of Montreal Street in the Christchurch CBD has been screened off since the earthquakes. Photo: Google Maps
The building was badly damaged by the earthquake in 2011 and a group looking to rebuild the pub say it could take about $12 million to see it welcoming Cantabrians back.
James Stewart of Gemelli Consulting told First Up he was excited about seeing the pub re-open - an ambition which had been "in the hearts" of some Cantabrians for over a decade.
"It was a real Christchurch institution, a real melting pot and mixing place for people."
The two-storey brick and timber Dux de Lux, which is part of the Christchurch Arts Centre, did not look too bad from the outside, Stewart said. It had been brilliantly designed in an L shape with big bay windows and high ceilings.
The L shape protected patrons from the easterly wind when they sat out in its courtyard and it was regularly packed in its pre-earthquake days.
Dux De Lux Photo: Christchurch City Libraries
Stewart said its "melting pot" aspect was what he and many Cantabrians loved about it.
"It was a place where you could be sitting on long tables outside next to a person in a suit, next to a family, next to a bunch of tourists, next to a bunch of musicians ...it brought everyone together and you had incredible interactions with people and not just those in your normal bubble."
The building is heritage listed, "a big space and it needs to be fixed properly".
However, it did not stack up commercially because at $12m, the Arts Centre would not be able to make enough in rents from businesses to recoup costs.
Instead, supporters such as Stewart are looking to investors who strive for social, cultural or environmental returns as well as financial returns.
"It might have a modest financial return, maybe 2 or 3 percent, but it's also got the added benefit of restoring an amazing heritage building, bringing back an incredible music venue, an incredible social meeting space.
"They can factor those additional dividends into their investment equation and hopefully we can raise the money and get this building fixed again."
He said it was difficult to put a timeframe on the project which could appeal to three groups of people -investors, customers who intended coming back once the pub reopened who might donate small amounts, and their own business partners, especially those who had done well since the earthquakes and through the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Across those three groups, if the business community, investment community and the general public, if they get behind this when we launch in spring, we could be open in a couple of years."
Repair work is still being carried out on other parts of the Arts Centre, including this area bordering Worcester Boulevard. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
