Gerry Brownlee says the developers were given "extension after extension" and he had nothing to do with the project's failure.

The developer behind a failed urban village claims his Chinese backers pulled out because of comments Gerry Brownlee made.

Documents have revealed the behind-the-scenes scramble to get the Breathe residential development in central Christchurch off the ground.

In November last year, the now-defunct Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) called time on the project because the developers had been unable to secure funding.

SUPPLIED An artist's impression of the winning Breathe Urban Village design.

Brownlee, the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister, said the developers had more than two years to stack up their plans and denied he was to blame for the project's failure.

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Two Chinese companies and an Italian regional government were among the project's potential funders, documents show.

DEAN KOZANIC/FAIRFAX NZ Architect and TV personality Kevin McCloud was a fan of the Breathe Urban Village and a competition judge.

The winners of the international design competition were announced in 2013 and construction of the development – earmarked for the former Charlie's Backpackers site north of Latimer Square – was due to start in 2014.

The project was listed as an anchor project and received the backing of Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud​, who was on the judging panel.

Local developer Ian Smart, an Italian architecture firm and an engineering firm​ impressed the judges with their design, which involved 72 timber-clad dwellings.

Documents released under the Official Information Act showed Smart first secured funding from the New Zealand Development Trust but they later pulled out.

He turned to international backers and signed an agreement with China's Crown Homes Company. But Smart claims the agreement was cancelled after an interview Brownlee gave.

Speaking on Newstalk ZB last year, Brownlee criticised the project, saying it "should never have started in the first place".

It was frustrating to "take the flak" for delays when the people behind it had not delivered what they promised, he said.

Smart said Crown Homes viewed such comments from a government minister as extraordinary.

"I've done a lot of work with the Chinese and I understand their culture.

"These comments were never going to fly with them."

Smart said the failed project had cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"I was absolutely devastated when we ran out of time because, after all of that, we just couldn't quite get there."

He said the Government wanted $5.1 million for the earthquake-damaged land.

"It was overpriced and we couldn't get a valuation to match it."

Brownlee said the Government did not want to buy up land and sell it at discount prices.

"You don't preserve land prices by doing that . . . and [the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority] wasn't a charity."

Brownlee said the developers had more than two years to stack up their plans.

"They had extension after extension . . . it went on too long."

After losing Crown Homes' support, Breathe went on to sign an agreement with Italian equity investor Ecoprofili Le Malte di Sughero.

Ecoprofili planned to work with the regional government of Venice to secure funding for Breathe and other New Zealand ventures.

It had to provide proof of funding to the CCDU by October but failed to meet the deadline.

Smart cited Ecoprofili's need to navigate Venetian procedures and European laws regarding foreign investment as the cause of the delay.

An extension was granted until late November.

On November 20, Breathe provided CCDU with a letter from a Venetian official seeking confirmation that New Zealand authorities were interested in Ecoprofili's proposal.

The Crown did not consider the letter as sufficient proof of equity. Breathe was refused further extensions and the CCDU cancelled its agreement the same day.