Latest Updates

What’s the latest?

    • Aug 2024 Engineers report recommends demolition and new build

    • In Sept 2024 donations for the New City Campus were a massive $4.4m.  A combination of larger donations and more people giving meant we could make a lot of progress quickly on developing the design and getting updated construction estimates

    • Dec 2024 Decision made to demolish the old buildings and build new.

    • April 2025 Concept design completed on a new, purpose-built church

    • April 2025 Demolition Consent granted by CCC

  • Reached $5m in Donations

  • The New City Campus site in Tuam Street is already serving the community via the amazing work of Kairos Food Rescue. You can read more about it here www.kairosfoodrescue.org.nz

    Kairos Freestore began serving the community in 2019, by giving away rescued cafe food out of a small shipping container located in the St Asaph Street car park. The operation expanded into Unit 3/142 Ferry Road as services increased to include warehousing and distributing bulk rescued food. Kairos quickly outgrew this space and needed a new home.

    The drive-through car park building at 284 Tuam Street now houses this amazing community ministry. An enclosed space of 1300m2 allows Kairos to offer:

    • A welcoming cafe-style space to collect food, sit down and connect with others/build community

    • Increased warehouse capacity to enable housing of equipment, pallet storage of bulk food and distribution to community foodbanks

    • Office space for staff and a comfortable working environment for volunteers

    • Facilities to offer public access to toilets, hot showers and washing machines through collaboration with Orange Sky.

  • Over the last twelve months we raised a further $1.38m towards the fit out of our New City Campus thanks to the amazing generosity of so many people. We are so grateful for the sacrificial investment individuals have made into this amazing tool for mission that will serve such a key role in helping our grandkids (and the generations beyond) reach people for Jesus.

Recent Milestones

  • Currently we’re working through developed design getting more detailed consultants input on fire design, structural engineering, electrical and all the other design disciplines.

  • The decision to demolish our existing buildings was not made lightly. Our approach right from the start has been “if elements of the existing structure have value and will reduce the overall project cost we’re happy to consider keeping them”.

    In Aug 2024 we paid for an engineering report to make recommendations on the best approach and look in detail at how much of the building would meet current standards for commercial buildings.

    A church like ours must comply with IL3 (importance level) standards that apply to public buildings with large crowds.

    The report concluded “our recommendation from a structural perspective is to undertake full demolition of the building structure. We have formed this opinion through discussion on the importance level for the design of the new church campus, the change of use, compliance, demolition costs, temporary works costs and constructability challenges.” – Ceres Consulting engineers Aug 2024

    Cost comparisons by our Project Manager on the civil and foundation work showed the cost of upgrading the existing foundations to meet the required standards would be more complex and expensive than new foundations. Added to this is the increased risk of unforeseen cost that can only be known once the work is underway.

    • Opportunity to re-design as a purpose-built facility

    • Allows us to set the building back from Tuam St away from the shadow cast by the new Stadium

    • More light into the entrance/patio/café facing Tuam St

    • Kids rooms and outdoor play areas now relocated at the sunny Northern end of the building

    • Space on the St Asaph St end for a future car park building

    • Better control of overall project cost (reduced risk of cost escalation)

    • Offices for staff and volunteers could be included on the first floor (previously planned to be Stage 2 office block)

    • Avoid the cost of maintaining or replacing old building materials (e.g. roof which is at the end of it’s life)

    • Cheaper building insurance

    • Higher earthquake rating and overall a safer building to be inside

    • Warmer, quieter, dryer building