Christchurch's oldest wooden commercial building will soon be open again.
Christchurch Heritage Trust chair Anna Crighton stands in the doorway of the historic Shands building Photo: RNZ / Rachel Graham
The building, previously know as Shands Emporium, was built in around 1860, and survived the earthquakes when all around it was demolished.
In 2015 the building was sold to the Christchurch Heritage Trust for a dollar, and then moved to a new location within the central city.
Trust chair Anna Crighton said that around $500,000 has been spent on repairs and renovations.
That has included strengthening work, repairs to the floor boards, and bringing the building up to modern building code standards.
Dr Crighton said they were able to keep the original staircase, windows and fireplaces.
A new annex has been attached to the building, and it will connect to the historic Trinity Church next door by a covered walkway.
The building has been repainted in the green and red colours it stood in for many years, and Dr Crighton said she has had a steady stream of people stopping and reminiscing about past visits.
"They are walking past and the feedback I've had is - I can remember going in there, I can remember this, I remember that. Just a huge nostalgia and memories of the place.
"You think of how many people have walked across this floor in the last 150 years and you get an idea of how important it is to save these buildings. "
The trust was now looking for someone to take on the the lease or ownership of the building, Ms Crighton said. If the building was sold it would have a covenant attached to protect it long-term.
The building started life as a lawyer's office but has had many guises over the years, including an antique shop and a second-hand book store.
The Christchurch Heritage Trust is also working on restoring the Trinity Church building, a stone building which was first opened in 1875. It stopped operating as a church in 1973.
Both Shands and the Trinity Church building are category 1 heritage buildings.
Dr Crighton said that along with the nearby State Insurance building and old Government Buildings, the area from Cathedral Square up to Manchester Street had become a very significant area for heritage in Christchurch.
"We lost nearly 400 heritage buildings in Christchurch in the earthquakes. That was a huge hole to take out of memories and past, one that can never be replaced with glass and steel."