Bad weather has slowed the redevelopment of the former City Focus, with Rotorua Lakes Council saying the completion date is unknown.
It comes as nearby businesses say the ongoing construction is losing them customers.
Council strategic development manager Portia McKenzie said the recent wet and stormy weather has slowed progress,"as it has with much construction works across the country".
The redevelopment underway at Manawa -Heart of the City. Photo/Ben Fraser
"At this stage, without knowing if these weather events will continue, it is difficult to pin-point an actual opening date. A ceremony to celebrate the opening will happen, but those details are yet to be finalised."
In May the council's strategy and partnerships group manager, Jean-Paul Gaston, said work was on schedule for a mid-August opening.
Olivia Te Kawa, store manager at Special T Discounter Rotorua, said the redevelopment had affected the store's business.
Bad weather has slowed the redevelopment of the former City Focus. Photo/Ben Fraser
"It's a loss of car parking, and foot traffic, there's no signage saying the stores along here are open...it's affecting other businesses [in the area] too."
Showing the Rotorua Daily Post figures of income, she said the Tutanekai St store had lost around 10 per cent of income each month since May.
"We've had to cut back on some orders and have lost customers over this."
She said as a tobbaconist they were not allowed to advertise, and could not claim insurance as it was not a natural disaster.
Kiki Harjatinder Pall-Singh, owner at Payless Supplements on Tutanekai St, said he felt like the redevelopment was "taking forever".
"Small businesses should be compensated for the loss of customers, they originally told me six weeks, now it has been months."
Turkish 2 Go owner, Ayhan Semiz, said his Hinemoa St business started to lose customers after the information centre in the City Focus was removed - then the construction started and made the situation worse.
"I'm looking forward to it finishing, and hope it brings good business."
An overview of construction at the former City Focus. Photo/Ben Fraser
However, Starbucks manager Cathi Brown said the council had kept her up to date "right from the beginning," and she had council brochures about the work in-store.
Mrs Brown said she thought the outcome was going to be great.
"It has impacted on the business but we've just got to ride it out."
Mrs McKenzie said contractors had completed site levelling work and installation of services including storm water, irrigation ducting and street light cabling.
"The next phase is the installation form work and reinforcing, prior to the pouring of the carriageway edge beams and feature concrete surfaces."
Mrs McKenzie said the total contract for Te Manawa was $1.135 million and, at this stage, the council did not have a break down in the price from the contractor as to what had been spent so far.
She said passers-by were now "likely to see the design start to be realised".
Inner city development at Manawa - Heart of the City. Photo/Ben Fraser
