Social media users are taking to TikTok to discuss the state of Tauranga's CBD.

'No seriously, what happened to Tauranga?” a post on the video platform reads, which shows multiple buildings for lease in the city's central business district.

The video has amassed over 133,000 views in five days, with over 500 comments of people discussing the post.

'Why pay $10 parking when you can pay nothing to go to Bayfair or The Lakes,” one user comments.

The TikTok shows various vacant buildings in the CBD. Image: Amyfinlayson/TikTok.

Piccadilly Arcade chair Dave Bridgens says Tauranga City Council's "latest works and actions certainly haven't helped the situation".

'There are a large number of parks being taken up for redevelopment, and there is a continued mess caused in Elizabeth Street and Devonport Road in regards to the Farmers redevelopment," says Dave.

Dave adds he has personally noticed more vacant buildings in the CBD during the last few months.

'Cabbages and Kings is one which has just come up. The situation certainly isn't getting any better. In regards to council making parking paid, that doesn't help, and the demolition of the old Westpac building for more parks has been going on for well over 12 months.”

The video created an online discussion about Tauranga's city centre. Video: Amyfinlayson/Tiktok.

Dave says when Tenby Powell was the mayor of Tauranga, he wrote to him on behalf of Piccadilly Arcade to make parking free in the CBD, which he says 'eventually did happen”.

'I know some council people will argue employees take up the currently free parking spaces, and although that is true, they must understand that employees working in the CBD are also customers to businesses in the CBD. This is often forgotten.”

Dave adds although he thinks the issue is going to take 'some time” to resolve, he does see 'a light at the end of the tunnel”.

Dave Bridgens is the chair for Piccadilly Arcade. Photo: Taylor Rice/SunLive.

'I hoped when Farmers reopened it would make a difference, but it really hasn't.

'I think once the Elizabeth Street apartments open it will bring some people back into the CBD. We currently see a lot of people from Devonport Towers come in. But this could all take another 18 months to two years to happen.”

Dave says another hope for the future is the new council building, which Tauranga City Council commission chair Anne Tolley told RNZ will bring '700 people on a daily basis to the middle of the city” earlier this year.

On immediate fixes for the CBD, Dave adds the council could 'reduce fees in the parking buildings” and reduce rates in the CBD, which he says are 'very high” at present.

According to Tauranga City Council, 518 out of 678 sites in the city centre are occupied as of June 2022.

This represents a 1.4 per cent decrease from 2019, where there were 531 premises occupied out of a possible 686.

Tauranga City Council general manager of city development and partnerships Gareth Wallis says "a number of historical issues" have led to the current state of the city centre.

Tauranga's CBD has seen a 1.4 per cent decrease in occupancy since 2019 according to Tauranga City Council. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Gareth says the factors which have caused the drop in activity in the CBD include strengthening of earthquake prone buildings, an increase in the presence of large-scale shopping centres the onset of Covid-19 and "indecision by previous councils".

"We recognise these issues and acknowledge the impact they have had on our community, so are committed to the revitalisation of our city centre.

"We're already making great progress, with a number of exciting projects in the pipeline such as the redevelopment of our civic precinct, to be called Te Manawataki o Te Papa, the transformation of our waterfront, and the build of our future office block at 90 Devonport Road, along with a range of other public and privately funded projects as outlined in Priority One's CBD Blueprint.

"Together, these projects will help to create a vibrant and thriving city centre that our community want, deserve, and will benefit from for generations to come. We expect increased shop occupancy to be just one of these many benefits."