The best thing about the planned new Queens Wharf building is that it will not be there for long, Auckland mayor John Banks says.
A temporary glass, steel and PVC building will be built on the wharf in a $23 million plan for a base for Rugby World Cup fans, international media and to serve cruise ships.
Mr Banks told Morning Report it means a comprehensive re-design of the waterfront can happen after the rugby tournament.
He says he hopes fans do not congregate solely in Queens Wharf, ignoring city-fringe bars and restaurants.
"I don't want to see beer tankers alongside this temporary structure where people are able to put in hoses and suck out the beer - and all those good businesses that have struggled for so long right around the city miss out."
Meanwhile, heritage supporters are accusing the Government and the Regional Council of arrogance in deciding to demolish two almost-century-old cargo sheds on the wharf, to make way for the building.
Rugby World Cup Minister, Murray McCully, has questioned the quality of an 85-page heritage assessment which argued for retaining the sheds.
Adam Mercer from the Auckland Architects Association, and art critic Hamish Keith have both objected to the sheds being cleared to make way for a temporary structure.
Auckland regional councillor Joel Cayford says the decision didn't take into account the report on the sheds' heritage values.
The Historic Places Trust, which had previously spoken of the sheds' value, has accepted the demolition decision.
