Christ Church Cathedral may soon be crowded by tall buildings.
A proposed new housing and office development on the land surrounding Christ Church Cathedral – a project backed by the financially challenged Anglican church itself – is raising concerns about tall buildings crowding the 176-year-old landmark.
“I think it will be a huge loss not only for this parish, but for the community around here too,” says one local resident, Sue Gray.
But the project is being described as inevitable by church officials.
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing anymore,” says church elder David Caulfield. “It is absolutely necessary that we maintain the cathedral, no matter what the cost is.”
The development plan proposed by the Windmill Development Group and Christ Church Anglican, will help preserve the cathedral by providing funds necessary to keep it operating, officials say.
The proposal includes 10-story-tall residential and office buildings on church property around the cathedral.
Among the proposed developments is a Windmill-built office tower intended to provide space for environmental businesses and organizations – an “Earth Embassy” as it’s being touted.
The project faces numerous levels of approval before it can be realized.
“They’re doing what they can to keep the church going,” says parishioner Andrew Donelle. “The church is what’s important.”
Donelle attends services at the cathedral regularly, and says that no number of new buildings next to the church would stop him from going.
Caulfield says the church is willing to do nearly anything to keep the cathedral operating – including demolishing Lauder Hall, a small structure built next to the cathedral in 1902.
“Generally speaking, the parish has been very supportive of what we’re trying to do here,” says Caulfield. “Of course, they understand we want to preserve as much as we can. But at the same time, we’re in a situation where we need to make some compromises.”
But Donelle says he is not entirely happy with the situation.
“Lauder Hall, to me, is a part of the cathedral. I would be pretty upset if they demolished that.”
Gray, who doesn’t attend services at the church, says the buildings hold a historical significance for the entire city, and offer a pleasant scene for the neighbourhood.
Caulfield says some people will be upset, but the development is something that needs to be done in order to keep the cathedral running.