[ad_1]
Wealthy Cantabrians will have to donate an average of more than a million dollars a fortnight so that the restoration of Christ Church Cathedral is kept on time.
The group leading its rebuilding needs to raise $ 26 million by next October to keep the project on track for completion in 2028.
They will then have to raise another $ 25 million over three years for the final phases of the project, which will include a new tower and a new space for coffee, museum and planned events.
Supplied
Concept designs for the restored Christ Church Cathedral.
The total cost of the project is now $ 154.3 million, up from the original budget of $ 104 million estimated by a government task force in 2016. The project group already has $ 103.1 million, leaving a deficit and a fundraising goal of $ 51.2 million.
READ MORE:
* Three-year race to find $ 51.2 million for the restoration of Christ Church Cathedral
* The Christ Church Cathedral was rebuilt in 10 years, but the cost is not certain, says the new boss
* The bill for the restoration of the Cathedral of the Church of Christ passes in Parliament
Bishop Peter Carrell said they would approach mainly wealthy Cantabrians for donations, and that next year will be critical.
“Many people tell me that we will not be fully healed as a city until we have completed this project,” he said.
“We speak above all with Cantabrians. Within a year, most of it will be raised in Canterbury.
“We are very open to donations from all over New Zealand and other parts of the world. The biggest interest in the project comes from the people of Canterbury and this country. “
Supplied
The interior of the cathedral will be more flexible for modern worship.
Christ Church Cathedral Restoration Trust Chairman Peter Guthrey said they would also reach out to foreign donors.
Prince Charles is a sponsor of the fundraising campaign, he said, and had donated to the project.
“If we hadn’t had Covid, we would have been doing a presentation at Buckingham Palace this year.
“We already have committed funds from the United States. We are very confident that we will be able to raise money outside of New Zealand. “
British businessman Hamish Ogston pledged $ 4 million for the cathedral’s restoration in 2011, but it is not known if the money was eventually donated.
Supplied
The restored cathedral will feature a new visitor center, museum and cafeteria on the left and a new meeting space on the right.
The trust already has about $ 100 million for the project in grants and pledges, including $ 53 million in insurance, $ 6 million in lottery funds, $ 25 million from the government, $ 10 million from Christchurch City Council, and $ 9.1 million in personal donations.
New images of what the cathedral will look like were revealed this week, along with designs for a new visitor center and meeting and event space that flanks the restored building.
Former politician Philip Burdon, who campaigned for the cathedral’s restoration, welcomed the new designs as “inspiring.”
He donated $ 1 million in 2018 and said he looked forward to donating again, calling the fundraising goal of $ 51.2 million “challenging.”
Supplied
A new sunken courtyard, cafeteria and visitor center will be built north of the cathedral.
Cathedral restoration joint venture chairman Justin Murray said if the $ 26 million was not raised by October next year, they would have to reschedule the project.
“That is not something that is impossible to do.”
He said there was no intention to solicit public funds beyond the $ 35 million already committed by the Christchurch Government and City Council.
Currently, the cathedral is being stabilized with large steel frames installed outside the building. This phase is fully funded, will cost around $ 11.8 million, and will take approximately two years.
Supplied / Stuff
The visitor center on the south side of the building will feature a new cafeteria.
The next phase is strengthening and reinstallation. Funding should be available for that phase by the end of next year, the new buildings in mid-2022, and for the new tower in mid-2023.
The tower will be the final piece of the project.
The new designs were also welcomed by Heritage New Zealand South Region Director Sheila Watson.
“I think they have a good and sensible design for the ancillary buildings. Much thought has been put into how it fits into the square.
“It is a functional and pragmatic solution. It needs the ancillary buildings to make it work. “
