Tauranga City Council’s new $45 million administration building is a “sign of a city that’s growing up”, a local MP says.

The council had a ribbon-cutting and open day on Monday, with more than 120 people touring the leased eight-storey building, New Zealand’s largest-mass timber offices.

MPs Tom Rutherford and Jan Tinetti attended, as well as three of the commissioners who greenlit the 90 Devonport project – former chairwoman Anne Tolley, Shadrach Rolleston and Bill Wasley.

Tinetti said she “absolutely loved” the building.

“It’s been a long time coming and when I think about what our councils had to put up with in the time that I’ve been an MP and had to visit them, it’s been almost an embarrassment to our city and to see something like this is just absolutely incredible.

“This is this is a sign of a city that’s growing up.”

Tom Roper, who took the tour, said the timber gave the building “a good warm feeling”.

Asked if, as a ratepayer, he got value for money from the building, he said: “You can always think it could be done with less cost, but it’s impressive and it’s certainly fit for purpose”.

Tauranga City Council spent $33.5 million on the fit-out of its administration building, 90 Devonport. Photo / Tauranga City Council

Roper said he did a tour during construction and wanted to see the finished product.

“They’ve fitted it out well, it’s a lovely working environment.”

The council spent $33.5m on the fit-out and would spend $91.9m on the 15-year lease to house its administration staff, of which it has about 1000.

Former TECT chairman Bill Holland said the building was a “huge success”.

“It’s a wonderful working space for the staff. They must just love being here.

“When you look at where they’ve come from in Willow St, that was a disaster and nothing happened for years. Something had to happen.”

Staff have been working at various sites in the CBD since 2014, when black mould was discovered in the now-demolished Willow St civic administration building.

Former TECT chairman Bill Holland and current TECT chairman Mark Arundel at the opening of the new council building, 90 Devonport. Photo / Alisha Evans

Current TECT chairman Mark Arundel said the city could be proud of 90 Devonport.

“This is a moment of huge civic pride to see council housed in an environment that’s actually built for the future.”

Tauranga was behind in civic amenities for a long time and was playing catch-up, he said.

The council building and the $306m civic precinct Te Manawataki o Te Papa, which will house a library and museum, needed to happen, Arundel said.

TECT committed $21m to the precinct project in 2023.

Ratepayers would fund $151m of the under-construction precinct, due for completion in 2028.

“It is going to be a challenge to pay for it. We’ll all face that challenge but, that said, you can’t ignore your responsibility to plan for the future.”

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale at the opening of the new council building, 90 Devonport. Photo / Alisha Evans

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale cut the ribbon with long-time city resident Brian Kelly, who was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the King’s Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.

Drysdale said it was good to have the staff all in one place.

Between 600 and 700 people would work in the building on any given day.

It was too soon to tell if staff being under the same roof had improved efficiency, but everyone was happy, he said.

The tours they ran were full and there were 121 people on the waitlist, so the council would look to do more, Drysdale said.

“This [building] was paid for by the ratepayers and we want to get as many people through so they can actually see what happens behind the scenes.”

People on the tour found it “mind-blowing” to see the Tauranga Transport Operations Centre team at work, he said.

The new Tauranga City Council offices 90 Devonport. Photo / Brydie Thompson

He said it was good to see staff visiting nearby businesses, and exciting to look out from his top-floor office and “see the city centre coming back to life”.

“There’s a lot happening downtown.”

Life Pharmacy owner Garth Mitchinson said business in the last few years was “horrifically quiet” and “very challenging”.

After staff moved into 90 Devonport in May it wasn’t a massive change overnight but there were more people on the streets, he said.

“More people is better trade as far as we’re concerned from a pharmacy point of view. We have gotten busier.”

The Med Cafe owner Vick Singh said the council staff had brought life back to the downtown area and his business.

As an established cafe, it had regulars but the once-quiet 9am-noon period was now busier with council staff coming in for coffee and food, he said.

“You can see people moving around now, this time last year there was empty streets.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.