It's been a long time coming, but Oropi Hall's $2million-dollar makeover can finally begin.

The funds are in for the proposed upgrade of the time-worn community hall on Oropi Rd, thanks to a combined $1.2million grant from charities including Lotto NZ, TECT, The Lion Foundation and NZ Community Trust.

John Blythe Richard Somerfield, Esme Dean, Grahm Kehely, George Winters, Joan Kehely and Mark Dean. Photos: Moana Bianchin Photography.

The Oropi Settlers Association Inc, operating as the Oropi Hall Committee, is undertaking the upgrade, which will see the Oropi Memorial Hall become the Oropi Memorial Hall and Community Centre.

Committee chairman Richard Somerfield says the proposal to refurbish the 1953-built hall was put forward about four years ago. Long story short, there were district consultation meetings with Western Bay of Plenty District Council, a floor plan was put forward and the community set off trying to raise funds for the first two redevelopment stages in 2013.

Richard Somerfield.

Two years on, a new footpath, planned by WBOPDC, connecting Oropi School and the memorial hall has been completed and a contractor has been appointed to begin the first two stages.

These include a larger stage, a new meeting room, additions to the playgroup space and an indoor/outdoor flow. Stage three and four include two indoor squash courts and a new multipurpose fitness room.

'In the meantime volunteers from the district have been stripping the interior of the hall and there's not much left inside now,” says Richard. 'We're all so excited about it. It kind of makes it all worthwhile. It's going to be re-modernised and made into more of a community centre, so we've got something there for people of all ages.”

But some things are best left unchanged. For 62 years, Richard's been playing indoor bowls at the memorial hall, which he says has the best floor in town. So the floor is staying put.

'It's got a beautiful floor for bowls,” says Richard. 'It's a matai floor which was given when the hall was built. There's not many blowing floors in Tauranga like it.”

The aim of the proposed upgrade is to create a modern facility to be used by a number of community groups at the same time and to cater for a growing district.

The committee held a ‘New Beginning Ceremony' on September 8, to celebrate the start of the redevelopment. The World War I and WWII plaques were removed from the outside of the building to mark the beginning of the project.

They'll be replaced with brand new ones displayed inside of the hall once the upgrade is complete. Richard's hoping the new Oropi Memorial Hall and Community Centre will be a popular, affordable wedding venue once it's finished.