Building owner Del Roberts (right) and one of his tenants (left) talking about the damage to a small block of shops in the Greerton Village. Photo / Sandra Conchie
Building owner Del Roberts (right) and one of his tenants (left) talking about the damage to a small block of shops in the Greerton Village. Photo / Sandra Conchie
The cause of a fire which gutted a shop and caused significant damage to two others and a church hub in Greerton has left the victims in limbo. Sandra Conchie reports.
"I felt sick."
This was the reaction from a former Tauranga man who says he poured his retirementfunds into a building housing a block of shops and church offices that was extensively damaged by fire in Greerton earlier this week.
The Bladed N Faded Barber Shop and Tattoo Studio, which was due to open within days in Chadwick Rd in Greerton Village, was gutted by fire on Monday morning.
Fire crews were called to the three-storey building about 5.30 am.
The fire spread to two adjacent shops, Curry Planet and Ruk Thai takeaways, and the Tauranga South City Baptist Church's hub at the back of the building.
Gutted Bladed N Faded Barber Shop and Tattoo Studio (left) and neighbouring businesses. Photo / Sandra Conchie
The fire's cause was still being investigated but the building's owner, retiree Del Roberts, said the blaze was being treated as arson.
Roberts, formerly from Tauranga, who lives in Whitianga, said when he saw the extent of the damage it left him badly shaken.
"I felt sick, to be frank, and stunned. This is my retirement livelihood, but I also feel very upset for my tenants who are good people who worked long hours to earn a living."
Roberts said there had been well over $1m worth of damage caused by the blaze, but the exact cost would not be known for a few days.
"We know the whole roof will need to come off [the building) and the basement may need to be replaced too and it's highly likely to be a total rebuild job," he said.
"Because it's an older building we will need to check whether there is any asbestos inside before the insurance assessor can go through to assess the full extent of the damage.
"It makes me so angry, as whoever has done this just doesn't care how their actions have impacted on anyone else. They've taken away the livelihood of good people who have worked very hard over a long time to build up their businesses ... It's so unfair."
The Tauranga South City Church hub is out of action due to a fire. Photo / Sandra Conchie
A Tauranga South City Baptist Church spokesman said the church had operated from the Chadwick Rd site for seven or eight years.
"This was our hub where we gathered for worship and had our main offices and where we run our community outreach services from," he said.
The church spokesman said the church leadership team was meeting lastnight to discuss the fire and make some decisions.
"Our church hub sustained significant fire and water damage ... We are currently operating from someone's dining room table, " the man said.
An owner of the Ruk Thai takeaways earlier told the Bay of Plenty Times that he and his parents had been operating their business for more than seven years and had no income protection insurance.
Other business owners could not be reached for comment before publication.
Police have described the fire as suspicious.
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner earlier said Western Bay of Plenty police were investigating the fire and two recent shootings in the district "separately".
"But we are also investigating any possible links between them as any potential gang involvement," he said.
