Tenant demand was driving the rebuilding of a "world class" CBD in Christchurch but the challenge will be delivering it within the next three years.
Speaking at the Property Council of New Zealand national conference in Queenstown on Friday, Colliers International Christchurch Brokerage general manager Jonathan Lyttle said he was often asked: "Would we [Christchurch] really have a CBD again?
""The answer is unequivocally yes.
"Many people believe the negative hype in the media - that land owners are selling, they're taking their money, they're going to Auckland [and] they're investing in bigger and better markets.
"Landowners see the opportunity to redevelop; tenants are genuinely excited about reopening the CBD; demand for Christchurch stock is incredibly high ... and there's a large amount of interest from national and international development entities.
"The challenge for Christchurch is delivering product within the time constraints that our tenants have given us."
Mr Lyttle said in March 2011 Colliers surveyed CBD tenants and, at that time, 76% of respondents said they would return to the CBD, 90% of them wanting to be back within three years.
Eight months after the devastating February 22 earthquake, Colliers surveyed tenants - representing 3000 staff - and asked where they imagined their business being located in the new CBD.
Of those surveyed, 35% said the Cathedral Precinct, 22% said Victoria St; 17% in the Cultural Precinct while 13% did not wish to return to the CBD.
Mr Lyttle said "without a doubt" tenants wanted to go back to the CBD, all of whom "miss the sense of a business community ... of being in a city centre".
"Not everyone is looking to spend their insurance money in Auckland," Mr Lyttle said.
