5.10pm: One of Christchurch's two largest gay venues will be open this evening and the other is awaiting a final engineer's report which it believes will enable it to open immediately. Cruz co-owner Bruce Williamson says Lichfield Street in downtown Christchurch is now open "and we're opening up from 7 tonight as normal." He says the damaged roof of the club has been repaired and he has spent this afternoon cleaning up the bar area. "The engineer signed us off today and, further earthquakes permitting, she's all go," Williamson says. Across the road Menfriends is still waiting for a scheduled engineer's inspection to take place. "Our building was earthquake strengthened in 1991 and there is no apparent weakness or obvious cracking," says co-owner Stuart Yeatman, who is currently at the premises waiting to meet the structural engineer. "If we get the green light, and I'm fairly sure we will, we'll open as soon as possible, though if the go ahead isn't given soon we may have to wait until tomorrow to re-start things." Yeatman says the block of Lichfield street which is home to the gay venues looks more or less "as per normal" with very little sign of Saturday morning's massive earthquake which has caused huge damage and disruption elsewhere in the city. "Most of the damage is around the corner in Manchester Street where there is heaps of damage evident," he says. "If you wander around the city centre you constantly pass by gaps where buildings used to be, or empty sections covered in rubble where the demolition crews have been bringing dangerous buildings down. Yeatman says few areas remain blocked off, though Tuam Street is still a no-go area. 8.00pm update: Menfriends has not been able to open for the weekend as they are still waiting for an engineer to arrive to check their building's structural integrity. At this stage the engineer's survey can not now be done until Monday. If it is favourable Yeatman says they hope to be open for business Tuesday night.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 10th September 2010 - 5:08pm