An artist's impression of the redeveloped Hamilton Central Shopping Centre. The site will be renamed the Tristram Precinct.

What people know as Hamilton's Kmart building will soon be given a major facelift.

Stark Property director Matt Stark said the Hamilton Central Shopping Centre project, on Tristram Street, was one of the biggest office redevelopments to be undertaken in central Hamilton.

Work is set to start in early 2019 and will take 18 months to fully complete.

The 1.33 hectare central city site, which houses Kmart, was bought by Stark Property in 2016 for $13.4 million.

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Waikato Regional Council will relocate to the site from mid-2020. The council recently put its current Hamilton East headquarters up for sale.

SUPPLIED Kmart will continue to occupy the Tristram Street site but will temporarily close its store in January to allow the site to be redeveloped.

"I think we've shown with this design that we've gone well over and above what we needed to do to attract tenants but we're long-term Hamiltonians and we believe in building quality long-lasting buildings," Stark said.

Kmart will occupy a new 5400 square metre department store at the eastern end of the site.

Kmart's existing city store will close in early January to allow construction work and will reopen in mid-2019.

"The Kmart redevelopment will happen relatively quickly and relates to the back half of the building which is the size of a rugby field. That will get brought down to the concrete slab and get rebuilt from there," Stark said.

"It's pretty much a new build from the car park above."

A three-level commercial building will be built along the Tristram St side of the property, extending the full block between Ward and Bryce streets.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF Stark Property director Matt Stark (file photo).

The A-grade building will feature more than 14,000 sqm of lettable area. Edwards White Architects are working with Stark Property on the project.

Once completed, between 800 to 1000 office workers are expected to occupy the building, including more than 400 regional council staff from mid-2020.

Back in September, 2017 council chairman Alan Livingston indicated the council was looking at a central city site, describing its current Grey Street headquarters as not fit for purpose.

The council currently operates out of numerous locations across Hamilton.

SUPPLIED Redeveloping the Hamilton Central Shopping Centre is expected to take 18 months.

In a statement, council chief executive Vaughan Payne said the central city development marked a "fantastic opportunity" to relocate council staff together under one roof.

Another major tenant for the site is expected to be announced in mid-November and will occupy the Bryce St end of the top floor.

Two thousand square metres of office space and a cafe space remain available on the ground level.