The Reading Cinemas building on Courtenay Place in Wellington in April 2020, when it had already been closed for about a year after being deemed earthquake prone. Photo: CC 4.0 BY-SA / Tom Ackroyd
Wellingtonians are hopeful the future redevelopment of Reading Cinema will revitalise the city's CBD after it's sale to developer Primeproperty Group.
The Courtenay Place property was abandoned in 2019 after it was deemed earthquake-prone.
It went up for sale in April last year after the council ditched a controversial $32 million plan to help redevelop it.
The 1.5-hectare property was recently purchased by Primeproperty Group for an undisclosed sum, with the property developer tight-lipped on its potential plans for the site.
The Residence is a bar located near Reading Cinemas. Manager Ben told said he was curious to see what would be done with the site, speculating on the potential for a bowling alley or mini-golf course, anything, he said, that draws people to the area.
"Something to bring people to the street during the day would be amazing.
"Even if they opened another cinema out there, I wouldn't be complaining."
Co-owner of the Welly Collective which runs out of the front of the Reading Cinemas building, Libby Dearnley, said she would like the site to bring new amenities to the area that benefited Wellingtonians.
"A little post office or something like that gives people access to things they don't otherwise have would be super helpful."
RNZ asked locals their thoughts after news of the sale, with many hopeful the "dormant" land would be put to good use.
"It is a big gaping hole in the middle of the city ... really just seeing movement would be great."
Others had strong views that whatever was built should be accessible to all.
"I remember when I was a kid and the Queen's Wharf Mall got turned ... into offices. So I kind of hope it's not something like that."
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau welcomed the sale, which comes as construction work to revitalise Courtenay Place, part of the city's Golden Mile project, is set to begin this year.
"I look forward to hearing what the new owner's development plans are," she said.
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