Shops closing down blame the 'skatepark'. Made with funding from NZ On Air.
It's the $2.5 million green space project that's continuing to cause controversy.
Te Papa o Ngā Manu Porotakataka, or the new Mount Maunganui "skatepark" as some locals call it, has sparked widespread debate since it opened earlier this year.
Local businesses have claimed the loss of 55 carparks to make way for the space has hit them hard.
Latest revelations include several shops in the Mount area closing down or choosing to not renew their lease, blaming the new space for significant loss in customers and revenue.
Business owner Emma Brandt said the new park is "a slap in the face" from Tauranga City Council.
Saya Suka is relocating to the South Waikato due to lack of parks. Photo / Shilo Kino
Her shop Saya Suka has been open for three summers but is now relocating to South Waikato - and Brandt blames the lack of carparks.
"Nowhere to park meant loss of customers and, with local businesses already paying a high amount of rates, it's too much," she said. "The Mount has so much potential, the council have cut the potential off."
Nearby, in the Cruisedeck Mall, is tattoo artist Skye Carson-Wilson. Born and bred in the Mount, she's now struggling to keep her business going.
"We like our customers to come in for assessments but instead they are now messaging us because they can't be bothered coming in, because there's no carparks," she said.
