Today Christchurch City Councillor and mayoral contender, Phil Mauger met with Shaun Stockman, Tim Weston and James Stewart from ReDux, the group trying to restore the historic building that housed the Dux de Lux at the Arts Centre.

“It's very sad that this Category 2 historic building, the home of the Dux de Lux, will sit derelict indefinitely. However, I must acknowledge that the Arts Centre Trust Board has done a fantastic job repairing their Category 1 historic buildings with their insurance money. They were clever enough to increase their cover after the first earthquake,” says Phil Mauger.

“Although I am not privy to all the details, it seems like an extremely short-sighted decision to reject the 50-year lease offer from ReDux.

“The group behind the lease offer are incredibly competent people with a proven track record in our city.

“I have learnt more about the proposal from ReDux today. If elected Mayor, I am committed to working with the Arts’ Centre Trust Board and ReDux to get the building restored and bring the Dux de Lux back to Christchurch. The Council has used a similar lease model to that proposed by ReDux. The Old Municipal Chambers was restored by Box 112 with outstanding results.”

Social enterprise expert James Stewart of Gemelli Consulting, part of the ReDux team, said they welcomed the interest from Councillor Phil Mauger. “We are keen to work with Phil to see if this iconic building can be restored.”

Phil Mauger says, “The Council has already committed to several key investments for arts and culture in the city, including a capital grant of $5.5 million for the Arts Centre in our long-term plan. The Arts Centre is New Zealand's largest collection of Category One buildings.

“However, before any decision is made, we must get input from our community. Our community must always have a say in deciding Council's spending priorities and commitments, after all it is ratepayers' money we are spending,” says Phil Mauger.

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