Christchurch's two largest gay venues say their premises should be ready to re-open by the middle of this week but doubt that the general public will be allowed to return to their street until next week at the earliest. A gaping hole in the Cruz 'drag queen area' ceiling and roof Cruz nightclub and Menfriends cruise club and sauna are located on Lichfield street in the downtown area hardest hit by the 7.1 magnitude earthquake which last Saturday morning destroyed hundreds of city buildings and caused major damage to infrastructure. Both premises are housed in the type of historic brick and masonry Victorian and Edwardian era buildings which have sustained the most damage in the inner city, causing it to be shut off to the public. "We've been green stickered," says Bruce Williamson of Cruz, Debris which plunged through the roof at Cruz "which means we are able to re-occupy the premises and get up and running again. There is some minor repair work such as replacing the bricks which popped out of unused and bricked-over windows and covering the 'new skylight' created when the next door building's parapet fell on us, but everything seems perfectly safe." Williamson says the remainder of the next door parapet is still a concern and a massive 100-tonne crane is being brought in tomorrow morning to remove it. Williamson says any quick remedial work or steadying of damaged building facades has had to be organised by the businesses themselves as "the Cruz co-owner Tony Tucker takes a butch break from repairs council have other immediate priorities." "It's very much a self-help situation at the moment," he says. However, surveying the amount of damage along Lichfield and Manchester streets in particular, and given the continuing aftershocks which could further dislodge parts of weakened buildings, Williamson says he cannot see the public being able to return to the area "for a week or two." Menfriends co-owner John McKelvie also believes it will be at least a week Damage at the rear of Menfriends before their customers will be able to return, although like Williamson he believes only a day or two will see their building and business in a fit state to re-open. "Inside our building is fine and although there is some damage to the roof caused by a falling parapet we can easily tarpaulin that for the time being, though eventually the whole roof may have to be replaced." "I'm picking it will be a week or so yet before the area is safe enough for everyone to come back," he says. Currently only business and building owners, and their tradespeople, are allowed into the cordoned-off downtown precinct. Although both businesses have been given green stickers by the structural engineers who did the initial quick evaluation of buildings in the central city, it is considered likely that opening to the public will require more detailed engineer's reports and these may not be available for some time. Photos: Rouyden Lake
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 6th September 2010 - 9:16pm