The restoration of the historic New City Hotel in Christchurch is due to finish early next year.

The heavily vandalised building at the corner of Colombo and Bath Sts is being converted into offices for marketing firm Plato.

Business owners Lisa and John Plato bought the building from developer Box 112 in 2024.

Work started in about October last year and is due to finish for the business to move in by March next year.

The structural strengthening work is about 90% done.

Glazing and a new roof are next, with a private gym and wellness area starting to take shape.

Said Lisa Plato: “We’re excited to give such a recognisable Christchurch building another chapter and create a great home for Plato that we can also share with our clients and partners.”

Plato would not say how much the property was bought for, or the cost of the restoration.

The property has a rateable value of $2.35 million.

Heritage New Zealand lists the building as a category 2 historic place.

It was built from reinforced concrete in a Moderne architectural style in 1930 by the Ballin Brothers, a brewing and soft-drink business.

It survived the 2011 earthquake with surface cracks, flooding in the basement, and damaged plumbing, and reopened as a key music and hospitality venue.