A significant building development at a Papamoa lifestyle village is underway this month, as work begins on construction of a new community centre.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby turned the first sod on Freedom Villages' community centre on Friday – the latest development in the $55 million Papamoa project.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby and Freedom Villages Papamoa residents' association president Don Avey turning the first sod on the community centre. Photo: Supplied.

Construction will get underway next month, with the community centre expected to open in May 2016.

Freedom Villages managing director Rudy Van Het Wout says the community centre will contain a residents' café with indoor and outdoor seating, a private bar and function areas for residents, and entertainment facilities.

Rudy says the facility will be the hub of the village, and the go-to place for socialising.

'Freedom is different to other villages in that it is a lifestyle village,” explains Rudy. 'It's crucial that this community centre offers entertainment facilities and a theatre, dancefloor, gymnasium, library retreat, indoor bowls and craft areas.

'Our residents are younger and more active than those in traditional retirement villages – some of our residents are still working, as we cater for the 50-plus age group. The community centre is going to be where the fun happens.”

The centre will also house the village management offices, and will be linked to residents' houses via landscaped gardens and walkways. There is a large public reserve at the centre of the village.

It will also contain a private meeting room and three fully-covered outdoor barbecue kitchen areas, where residents can hold their own family functions.

The Freedom Villages development is part of the fast-growing Golden Sands subdivision, and Golden Sands sales and marketing manager Mark Day says Freedom Villages adds an important demographic due to its integration with the community.

The village is not gated, which Mark says adds a larger presence of people in the area during the daytime.

'The commencement of the community facilities within Freedom Villages is a major milestone for the area,” says Mark.

'It adds considerable value to the ‘liveability' of the village, and will help secure the long term value of the village.

'There has been considerable excitement growing about this facility from the residents we have spoken to over the past couple of months.”

Development on the community centre follows the opening of Freedom Villages' purpose-built secure motorhome parking and wash facility for residents in May, which is said to be a national first.

Rudy says the facility recognises the trend towards baby boomers living the motorhome lifestyle, by providing a secure place for them to park their recreational vehicles.

'Many of our residents are keen motorhomers who want a modern and beautiful house to live in, but also need somewhere to park up their RV,” says Rudy.

'Freedom Villages is the only village in New Zealand to offer this type of dedicated facility. Freedom offers the ideal scenario for people who want to ‘lock up and leave' and go on adventures in their motorhome, without having to worry about lawns and security.”

The secure motorhome park offers parking for residents' motorhomes and caravans, for a small weekly fee, and includes a covered wash-down area, with a water blaster, and a dump station.

The village's recently opened Blokes' Sheds area offers a traditional work space, a community area where residents can gather, and storage sheds for residents.