Demolition starts on quake risk building

Demolition of the Waipukurau's old Mills Honda building on Ruataniwha St has begun.

Local property investment company Gaisford Properties Ltd, who owned the building, said when Mills Honda's lease expired they moved out to discover the structure was found to be only 11 per cent compliant with the new earthquake code.

The company's chairman Stuart Martin said they looked at strengthening, but for the cost, they still had an old building that would have to meet future new standards.

"As responsible landlords, we were not happy to have new tenants and customers at risk from earthquakes," Mr Martin said.

So, they decided to demolish the building and are now looking to breathe life into the site again.

The building has been a long-time fixture in Waipukurau, built some time in the 1920s.

Its future was as yet unknown.

Following the Christchurch earthquake, pre-1935 commercial buildings had come under the spotlight, with other owners of buildings in Waipukurau's main street struggling to meet the new code.