The library car park on Hamilton Street will be closed Sunday, July 9 as contractors install fencing and hoardings in preparation for demolition of the Willow Street administration building.

The library car park will reopen on Monday, July 10, but here will be fewer parks available.

The fencing will encroach on the drive-in past the ramp and cars will have to dog leg over some of the car parks directly opposite the building, say communications advisor Amanda Weatherley.

'The entrance will be the same but there's less parks because of the hoardings and fencing and health and safety measures that are going to be in place,” says Amanda.

As demolition proceeds the car park will be closed off completely. At this stage that is expected to happen towards the end of August, and remain closed until the site is cleared which is expected to be towards the end of October.

'We are working to minimise the inconvenience to the community as we can,” says Amanda.

'We are currently adding two more mobility car parks to the Masonic Park, there's one in there already. We are adding two more and one additional one up on Durham Street near Baycourt - because the pedestrian access from the carpark through to Wharf St or into the library and council building will have to be through a service lane between the library and Baycourt.”

There will be an alternative book drop-off at the main entrance to the library, and from Monday, pedestrian access from the car park to Wharf Street will be between the library and Baycourt.

Council's Customer Service Centre and the library will be open normal hours.

The demolition is being carried out by Tauranga-based AP Demolition. After it was announced in May that they had the contract work has been going on inside the building, stripping out internal fittings.

Electrical work is expected to be completed this weekend that will completely electrically isolate the building says Amanda.

The administration building has been vacant since the discovery of a health affecting toxic mould in the building in December 2015.

After reports and studies it was decided cleaning or renovating the building is not cost effective. The process of deciding to demolish the building triggered a wider look at the council precinct and kicked started the Heart of the City project.

Tauranga City Council safety measures during the demolition include traffic and pedestrian controls in place on Willow Street to minimise the impact on traffic, pedestrians, businesses and services.

AP Demolition's recent projects include the demolition of Whakatane Hospital, Tauranga Hospital's Jacaranda House and Taranaki Base Hospital's Stainton Block.

Council resolved in September 2016, as part of the Civic Heart Long Term Plan amendment, to demolish the Administration building as soon as practically possible, following the discovery of toxic mould in the building in November 2015. Independent investigations revealed significant weather tightness, seismic and building services issues in the building.