The village is undergoing a $3 million upgrade, with the first stage officially brought to an end at a ceremony led by Wangaratta Bishop John Parkes and attended by Albury mayor Kevin Mack and member Greg Aplin.

The first stage of the redevelopment involved demolishing small units and replacing them with a new home and The Martin Centre.

The retirement village was built in the 1960s and Mr Martin and his wife Helen were known for often visiting the homes in Albury’s Cahill Place, on the site of the old Albury jail.

The couple spent their days doing voluntary work at the village including mowing lawns and making repairs.

Mr and Mrs Martin were part of a committee with the Snare, Barry and Webb families supporting the retirement village.

Mrs Martin said the village, part of the Wangaratta Diocese, was a huge achievement.

Although Mr Martin was humble about the part he played in the village’s history, he believed the centre was named after his family to recognise the work they had done.

“It has changed a lot — I remember there being a number of units where the centre is now,” he said.

“I remember people used to compete over who had the best garden.”

St Matthew’s Retirement Village manager Brian Elliott said now the first stage was complete, they would look at demolishing and renovating the 25 existing units.

Mr Elliott said they would also add features to reduce risk to the ageing population.

“It was a concept that didn’t exist when it was originally built,” he said.

“The design will aim to make life easier with removable shower screens, taps that are easy to turn on and non-slip flooring.”