Work began in early February 2025 on the construction of a community centre and changing rooms at Lancaster Park, expected to open in October 2025.
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Positioned on the northeast corner, the purpose-built facilities will allow the historic park to be fully activated for sporting, community and recreational use.
The Lancaster Park Community Centre will include the following features:
- Multi-use function space, accommodating around 100 people standing and 70 seated around tables.
- Kitchen.
- Small meeting room.
- Three externally accessed public toilets.
In 2022, Christchurch City Council asked the community to help shape the future of Lancaster Park through the Community Spaces Plan. Residents shared their ideas for creating a welcoming and inclusive community park, including a play space for young people. We’ve been developing ideas for play opportunities for all of our park users, from the youngest tamariki to our older generations. Your feedback will help refine our plans before we get them approved by the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board. View the full concept designs and tell us what you think by 10 August 2025(external link)
Share your feedback on our designs for the play areas
The centre and meeting room will be available for hire and are suited to a range of events, including prizegivings, fundraisers, community activities and birthday parties, as well as meeting the needs of the sports communities who activate the park.
The changing rooms will be used by sports clubs, including cricket, rugby, touch rugby and football. Two referee changing rooms are also included.
Amalgamated Builders has been contracted by the Council to do the project.
Founded in 1881, Lancaster Park has a rich sporting history and is an important landmark in the southeast of the city.
After being damaged in the 2010/11 Canterbury earthquakes, the stadium had to be closed. It was eventually demolished in 2018–2019, and planning began on an extensive redevelopment of the park.
We had early discussions with the major sporting codes who were united in showing a strong interest in establishing shared facilities on the park.
In 2019 we created a spatial plan for the site in collaboration with community and sporting groups. Ongoing collaborative planning has helped to ensure that the facilities best meet the collective needs of these key stakeholders and the wider community.
Redevelopment work at Lancaster Park began in April 2021 with the creation of green recreational space and community sports fields.
Recent milestones have included the restoration and rededication of the heritage Memorial Gates(external link) and the planting of more than 11,000 native trees(external link), which many of the groups have helped to plant.
Additional planting is planned and there are also provisions for a playground, which will be situated on the eastern side, just south of the community centre.