A dawn unveiling marked the official completion of the new multi-million dollar police station on Monmouth Street this morning.

Dignitaries gathered with officers and iwi at 6.30am to celebrate the newly construction station that will house 150 Western Bay of Plenty Police staff.

Crowds gathered outside the new police station on Monmouth Street at dawn. Photo: Ross Brown.

Dignitaries take a tour of the new police station interior. Photo Ross Brown.

Built on the site of the previous central city police base, the new $20.8million building is expected to come in within budget and will officially open to the public on Monday.

Construction began on the building in January after former Police Minister Judith Collins announced in 2011 the 45-year-old former building would be demolished and replaced.

Today marked the official unveiling attended by Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby, MP Simon Bridges and Police Assistant Commissioner Mike Bush.

The new station stands tall on the Monmouth Street site featuring a specially designed Maori carving.

It features 23 cells each with beds and toilets, on the ground floor is a forensic laboratory and interview rooms, along with a specially equipped medical room in case of injury.

Underground parking will house a majority of the police vehicles and officers can train in their own on-site gym.

The Maori carving is unveiled. Photo: Daniel Hines.

Officers perform a haka outside the new station at dawn. Photo: Daniel Hines.

Senior Sergeant Ross Bielby, who has been overseeing the project, says officers will start moving into the new station from their temporary headquarters in 3rd Avenue from tomorrow.

'Around 150 staff will be housed here. There will be officers from Tauranga, the Durham Street site and some from Greerton station all in the Monmouth Street station.”

Former Tauranga Police Constable Gordon Woodcock says the new station is a sign of the city's growth.

Gordon served as an officer based at the former Tauranga station built in the 1930s from 1957 to 1962 before being transferred to Auckland.

'When I served there were 10 officers which eventually expanded to 25 by 1964.”

'The station was built in 1936 and closed in 1964 when another station was built on the same site.

He says times have changed since his day and new technology is bound to be a part of the new station.

'They have cars which they can race to accident sites in. We didn't get our first car until around 1959.

'Communication is another thing that has changed over the year. When I was a constable, officers had to use a public phone to make calls - but now they can get on their radios and report back to the station.”

The new police station will open to the public from 4pm on Monday.

Photo: Ross Brown.

The new cells will allow police to keep an eye on prisoners who are deemed dangerous by officers.

Police officers will be able to process prisoners and place them in a holding cell in the cell block area of the new station.

Senior Sergeant Ross Bielby surveying the space at the back of the station.

Photos: Daniel Hines.