St James Theatre to re-open
The Lorne Street façade of St James Theatre, which was closed in 2007 following a fire in a neighbouring building.
An artist’s impression of the planned residential tower.
Auckland’s iconic St James Theatre is a step closer to re-opening, with the sale of the site to new owner Relianz Holdings.
As part of its purchase of 302 Queen Street, the new owner has been granted consent and will work with the Auckland Notable Properties Trust to conduct an evaluation of work required to re-open the St James Theatre.
A 39-story residential tower designed by architect Paul Brown, a 3,000m² retail precinct and 195 car park spaces are also scheduled be constructed by Elemental Construction Solutions (ECS) as part of the project.
ECS director and Relianz Holdings’ development director, Mike Gibbon says the project will rejuvenate the area known as the Aotea Quarter, while catering for the continued growth of population in the city centre.
“Construction will see the generation of thousands of jobs in the city in what amounts to another boom for Auckland as construction projects continue to revitalise the city,” he says.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown believes a re-opened St James Theatre would be a fantastic result for Aucklanders.
“The St James Theatre is an icon of Auckland in the truest sense,” says Mayor Brown. “Preserving the St James and seeing it re-opened has been a high priority for Auckland Council and for me personally, so it is great to see the private sector taking a big step towards that.”
Initially opened in 1928, the theatre has been closed since 2007 as a result of a fire in a neighbouring building.
