Initially considered a short-term response to the lack of permanent buildings, Re:START was popular with locals and tourists alike and remained open for business until January 2018.

[7] The original proponent of the concept, Paul Lonsdale of the Central City Business Association, became the manager of the mall initiative.

[6] Re:START was opened on Saturday, 29 October 2011 by the mayor, Bob Parker, and the prime minister, John Key, with the latter calling the project "incredibly funky".

[16] The lease on the northern part of the mall was about to expire, with most of the land owned by Lichfield Holdings, and a building project was about to start.

[20] Re:START manager Lonsdale gained a high profile through this initiative and was one of two main contenders for the Christchurch mayoralty in the October 2013 local elections.

Beaten by former Labour Party MP Lianne Dalziel for the mayoralty, Lonsdale was successful as a Christchurch City Councillor.

[21] With closure of the mall pending, the Re:Start the Heart Trust wound up in 2017 and the assets were sold to Riverside Ltd, a development company led by Richard Peebles.