"In conjunction with the New Zealand Transport Agency and Tauranga City Council, Bayfair has been granted resource consent by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to undertake necessary work to improve the water, stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, as part of a wider plan to future-proof the centre."
Mr Ellingford said the owners of Bayfair had progressively acquired land surrounding the centre for a potential future expansion.
"The land is appropriately zoned for commercial use and resource consent has been approved," he said.
The council approved requisite consents to undertake required infrastructure works and removal of houses, Mr Ellingford said.
"Bayfair centre management acted promptly to inform and support affected tenants with their relocation. All of the properties were on a 90 day notice period."
A letter addressed to Harris St residents dated August 15 from the centre manager said the street would be closed for a stormwater upgrade.
It said the civil work required to complete the stormwater upgrade had begun.
Fosters Construction and Pemberton Civil have been contracted to undertake the works.
"For safety reasons, it has been determined that the Bayfair end of Harris St will be closed for the duration of the project.
"There will be no through traffic on Harris St from Wednesday, August 16."
The letter said Carter St would also be closed further into the project and residents would be updated once further information was received.
An "extensive traffic management plan" was in place.
This week contractors would be establishing on-site equipment and a site office, erecting site fences around key areas, and would begin to excavate the pump station site.
"Pemberton Civil will do their very best to minimise any noise during this process by using acoustic panels along the temporary fences and using specially designed pumps."
Once this was complete they would start work on the wastewater lines towards Maunganui Rd.
According to a local resident, most of her neighbours had moved from the area.
The resident, who did not wish to be named, had been living in her one-storey, three-bedroom rental home for 17 years.
"We have not been told anything," she said. "I love this house, it is an old house but it is so well built."
A family who lived at a property for 40 years before selling their home to Bayfair posted on Facebook seeking a small piece of wood from the house to reuse as shelves as a keepsake for their mother.
Centre manager Steve Ellingford kept some of the wood at the family's request.
"The family was delighted that the original wood was still there and it was heartwarming for the Bayfair Shopping Centre management team to be able to reunite them with the keepsake."
The woman who made the Facebook post declined to comment as it was a personal issue.
- Bayfair owns 29 properties across Maunganui Rd, Harris, Carter and Farm Sts - including the reserve joining Harris and Carter Sts.
- Up to 16 of its properties were being removed and relocated before the end of August.
