Watch NZH Local Focus: New civic centre for Matamata

The Matamata Council Borough Building has sat on the corner of Tainui and Tui Streets in Matamata for the last 77 years.

But next month, the former council building, an office attachment, the 1956 Memorial Centre and some of the library will be bought down - making way for a multi-purpose civic memorial centre and library.

Mayor Jan Barnes says the current buildings are an earthquake risk and need to be refreshed.

"We're also needing a new roof on our memorial centre," and she says it works out to be cheaper rather than be faced with ongoing maintenance costs.

The new 6.9 million dollar building development will include a library extension, a new hall with community spaces and an office area for council staff.

For Chow Hill architect Brian Rastrick, the project has a personal thread.

"My family is actually originally from Matamata so you know for me it's a little bit of a historic connection to it as well."

The new building will hold the existing Roll of Honour and the Cenotaph will remain on site.

Mr Rastrick says a glass facade that opens at the front of the building will bring the roll of honour to life - day and night.

They're also planning on salvaging parts of the old such as doors and wooden features which be up cycled and possibly integrated into the new building.

"What can be saved, what can be re-used and where we can do a display of this heritage site, we will do that," Mrs Barnes says.

Mr Rastrick says they've looked at using old materials in the new building but the difficulty is making it fit so it doesn't "look like an old piece of architecture tried to fit in."

There have been concerns from the public about the lack of a stage in the new memorial hall - but there is room to add one later.

Mrs Barnes says when there is a budget "you've got to cut your coat according to your cloth".

Work to bring the buildings down will begin at the end of the month with construction to begin soon after.

The Roll of Honour and Cenotaph will be protected during the construction on the site to ensure preservation.

The new facility expected to be fully operational in early 2018.

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