Whakatāne District Council will shortly begin work to remove council-owned buildings at the corner of The Strand and Quay Street as part of the wider Whakatāne Riverfront Enhancement Project.

The buildings at 58, 60 and 62 The Strand, and 31 and 33 Quay Street, were originally purchased with the intention of clearing the site to allow future redevelopment. The buildings have been deteriorating for some time and are becoming unsafe.

Council manager strategic property Vanessa Fergusson said the council recognised the significance of the buildings for some in the community.

“We acknowledge these buildings hold memories for people and are part of the changing story of this area,” Fergusson said.

“However, they have been deteriorating for some time and retaining them would likely require significant investment at a considerable cost to ratepayers.”

Work at the site is expected to begin in early July with asbestos removal, followed by full demolition from September. Demolition is expected to take around eight weeks, with a further four weeks required for site clean-up.

Fergusson said some disruption could be expected during this time, including temporary changes to pedestrian access and construction noise within permitted limits.

“We understand this work may be inconvenient, and we will work closely with contractors to minimise disruption as much as possible, while maintaining safe access wherever we can.”

Once demolition is complete, the site will be developed as a temporary public recreation space, in line with enhancement plans consulted on with the community in March.

The temporary space is expected to include picnic tables, areas for food trucks, a half basketball court, lighting and timber seating.

Fergusson acknowledges that some people may question why money is being spent on a temporary space.

“What we’ve learned is that when a site sits empty, it can become a target for vandalism and anti-social behaviour, creating ongoing costs for security and clean-up.

“Making the space useable in the interim helps reduce these issues, while we continue working through the process of confirming the long-term plans for the site.”

It is expected the site will eventually be redeveloped.

The work is supported by $3.75 million from central government and matched dollar for dollar by council through its 2024–2034 Long Term Plan budget.