Police will move from the old Sydenham Station into the new premises in the Beckenham shops on Colombo Street and be open to the public on Monday 17 August. The new Police station will be known as Christchurch South Police station.
Senior Sergeant Rob Patterson who has overseen the new development and the move, says it is a day that he has waited for, for a long time.
"We've had several major set backs with the construction including two fires which put us six months behind schedule," he says. "It has been frustrating to be so near and yet so far from taking ownership."
There was extensive damage to wiring and the ventilation system in the fires. Although police believe the damage was deliberately caused, no one has ever been charged.
The Sydenham station will be closed to the public from 14 August and Christchurch South will open the following Monday. There will be no interruption to service.
The majority of the CIB from Hornby will be moving across over the following week.
"The Hornby station remains open as a Police station for community, Youth, Traffic, Prison inquiry, Highway Patrol and other staff," says Senior Sergeant Patterson.
The Stanley Street, Sydenham, premises were severely damaged in 1991 when a bomb was exploded in the front entrance. For more than 17 years police lobbied for a new station to replace the converted three bedroom house and warehouse that accommodated police officers responsible for the southern half of Christchurch.
The official opening of Christchurch South will take place on 11 September 2009.