Tauranga CBD businesses are urging the council to delay the closure of a key carpark as it will “hurt businesses”.

The Strand waterfront carpark - with 147 spaces - closed last week to be redeveloped into greenspace and a playground as part of an $84 million project.

Downtown Tauranga chair Ashleigh Gee presented a petition calling for the carpark closure to be delayed, at a Tauranga City Council meeting today.

“There is an overwhelming amount of great concern from the business community on the timing of the project.

“The city centre has been through so much over the last few years due to the impact from construction, and it is only just getting started.

“Running a business in a city that’s being torn apart and rebuilt is extremely tough.”

The $305m civic precinct Te Manawataki O Te Papa was under construction, main thoroughfare Cameron Road was being redeveloped and a number of other projects were underway in the CBD.

Gee, the owner of Miss Gee’s Bar and Eatery, asked the council to support businesses by allowing some “breathing space”.

The Strand carpark closed on October 30 to be developed into a greenspace. Photo: Alisha Evans/ SunLive.

More than 400 off-street parks had been lost over the last decade, she said.

Since The Strand carpark was shut, the newly revamped Dive Crescent carpark was full by 9am, Gee said.

“Our view is that the timing of the closure of this carpark will be the most crucial timing of the whole transformation project.”

The carpark had closed just before the peak summer season started, she said.

It was also the most easily accessible park in the city and considered a “safe option” for hospitality workers, Gee said.

“Visitors to the city centre are getting more and more frustrated as parking becomes harder and harder to find, leaving them less likely to return.”

She called for a well-lit central taxi stand, more mobility parking, and for the Cameron Road redevelopment to be completed to provide “relief to the city centre” before closing the carpark.

Oscar and Otto owners Catherine MacLoughlin and Hamish Carter loss 11 percent in sales since the carpark was closed. Photo: SunLive.

Oscar and Otto eatery owner Hamish Carter told the meeting the closure would “inevitably hurt businesses”.

“The carpark closure is likely to be the nail in the coffin for many businesses.”

The closure of The Strand carpark created another barrier to people coming to the city centre, said Carter.

In the past week they had an 11 percent drop in sales, he said.

“While 11 percent doesn't seem like a lot, I assure you, in the tight margin hospitality and retail sector, an 11 percent drop in sales is the difference between scraping by or having to cut staff numbers.”

Commission chair Anne Tolley acknowledged the disruption was really difficult.

“We understand it's frustrating.

“We have to get on with changing this city, bringing as many people into the city as we possibly can.”

Commission chair Anne Tolley said the council sympathised with businesses. Photo: Alisha Evans/ SunLive.

Council was contractually bound to continue with the carpark redevelopment, but would talk to staff, said Tolley.

The work included repairing the seawall, which needed to be done in summer, she said.

“Putting it off means it might never happen. So, no time is the right time.”

Disruptions from the development would continue for the next five or six years. The council was working with businesses on how to minimise the disruption and bring people into the city, said Tolley.

This included changing the paid parking end time from 5pm to 6pm and providing free weekend parking, she said.

A new carpark with 100 spaces was being built on Devonport Road, and earthquake strengthening was complete at the Spring Street parking building, Tolley said.

“To address some of the safety concerns, we've employed a full time safety advisor, who is on the streets every day.”

An artist’s render of the $84 million waterfront redevelopment. Photo: TCC.

Tolley also criticised the media attention the parking and safety issues had attracted.

“Publicly talking constantly about how there are no carparks, how it's not safe…only worsens the situation.”

Commissioner Stephen Selwood agreed: “I'm really worried by the message that is constantly being portrayed by Mainstreet [Tauranga] and in the newspaper that there's an ongoing parking crisis in the city, when all of the data is telling us the opposite.”

Council city development and partnerships general manager Gareth Wallis said they would work to try and change that perception.

There were less parks in CBD than three or four years ago, but Wallis said more had become available in the last six months.

The Strand carpark is expected to be under construction until mid-2024.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.