Home for Tauranga police taking shape
A milestone in the construction of the new Tauranga police station will be reached when the roof is finished this week.
New Zealand Police project director Annabel Bayes said the project was on track despite a wet winter.
"We'll be moving in in July," she said.
"It was a very wet winter so progress was slow over the winter months but the builders have done a fantastic job to claw that back ... The last few months of sunshine have treated us well."
Internal framing was going up on the ground floor, Ms Bayes said
The building would be totally closed in by the end of the year with cladding panels going up on the top floor over the next month, she said.
In August 2011, Police Minister Judith Collins announced the old Monmouth St building would be demolished to make way for the new one.
The old station was built by the Ministry of Works in 1965 to accommodate 50 staff and 10 police vehicles, but the number of police in Tauranga had grown to about 185 with 60 vehicles, Ms Collins said at the time of her announcement.
"The opening of this new facility won't come soon enough for Tauranga police," said Ms Collins.
Lack of space had resulted in Tauranga police leasing additional buildings to house parts of their operation such as prosecutions, neighbourhood policing teams and various administrative functions.
"The new 3900sq m facility will bring them all together under one roof. This will enable closer co-operation and communication between police groups, a better working environment and better facilities for the public."
Ms Collins said the project would cost $20,787,000 over the 20-year life of the building, which would be funded from police capital expenditure budgets.
The new facility is expected to be fully operational by mid-2013.
