The gutting of the building's interior began some time ago, and the main task of actually ripping down the skeleton is expected to be completed by the end of the month.
The Cat.II heritage building opened in 1939 as the Miller's department store. It featured the South Island's first escalator, which was the biggest in NZ at the time. The 5-storey building was refurbished and reopened as the Christchurch City Council chambers in 1980.
After the council moved out in 2010, the building stood empty, with no plans for its future. But the Feb.2011 earthquake damaged staircases and cracked some floor plates.
Now the site is earmarked for a $53m bus interchange, as part of the rebuild blueprint - that's due to open mid-2015.
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