$25m CBD building set to rise

The old Bay of Plenty Times building on Durham St, has now been demolished.

Construction starts next week on the $25 million Trustpower building which will provide a much-needed boost to Tauranga's downtown when completed in 2016.

Work has so far focused on demolishing the former Bay of Plenty Times building and excavating part of the site down to the carpark basement level.

A partner in the consortium that will develop and own the building, Dwayne Roper of Zariba Holdings, said the first stage of construction would involve piling along the 75-metre Durham St frontage.

Once the sheet piling was in place in about four weeks, they would be able to complete the demolition along the frontage by removing the old retaining wall and building a new wall.

CBC Construction, the commercial arm of the building company owned by the other partner in the consortium Peter Cooney, could then start work on the foundations of the four-level building.

The excavation of the rest of the site would be staggered so that the construction of foundations just kept ahead of excavations.

"It will be all action from July onwards," Mr Roper said.

The 10,000sq m Trustpower building will be a similar size to the $30 million ANZ building developed by Mr Cooney on the corner of Cameron Rd and Elizabeth St.

Mr Roper said when Trustpower's new head office was finished in March 2016 it would house 400 staff who would shift from Te Maunga and the Westpac building in Devonport Rd.

"Having this number of extra people in town will be a positive."

The finished building will have a basement carpark at the Grey St level for up to 75 cars. The three levels above Durham St will feature a big atrium.

Mr Roper said building consent for the first stage foundations was lodged with the council last Friday.