Construction work on the Harington Street Transport Hub site has been paused until detailed design issues have been dealt with to council's expectation.

Tauranga City Council has hired an independent structural consultant, Holmes Consulting, to provide advice on how to address issues that we are concerned about.

The council's General Manager of Infrastructure, Nic Johansson, says 'Following a meeting last week between council, Harrison Grierson and Holmes Consulting, it became clear that challenges with the detailed design on some components have not been dealt with to our expectation and it would be necessary to pause work on the Harington Street Transport Hub for a period of time.”

The three parties are working together to resolve the issues as quickly as possible so construction can resume.

'Council is extremely committed to this user funded project as it is about building an asset for the community that will enhance parking capacity while also encouraging multi modal use” says Johansson.

The implications for costs, and the responsibility for covering those costs, are yet to be determined. The expected completion date has been pushed from early 2020 to mid 2020.

We will provide an update once further information is available.

In May 2019, council was informed by our structural designers, Harrison Grierson, of a recommended design change relating to the seismic joints used in the construction of the Harington Street Transport Hub. Seismic joints are essential in absorbing the natural movement of buildings during seismic events such as earthquakes. The design change to include additional seismic joints will allow different parts of the building to move independently of each other and changes the way loads move through the structure.

Construction began on the Harington Street Transport Hub in June 2018. The building will include 250 spaces for people to park bicycles, 550 spaces for cars (including 15 mobility parking spaces), and 53 motorbikes. The building will also include electric charge points for cars and bikes. The parking building is thought to be the first of its kind in New Zealand to include a dedicated bike area making biking easier for city commuters. The bike hub will not only offer parking, but also includes showers and gear storage to make it easier for people who want to bike to the city centre.