$13M for Maui Airport, Hospital in Improvements Fund

Kahului Airport. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

A combined $13 million was released today for Capital Improvement Projects at Maui’s Kahului Airport and the Maui Memorial Medical Center.

The funds are part of a larger $147 million CIP funding release announced by the governor’s office for various design, construction and administration projects across the state.

The $12 million CIP release for Kahului Airport will be used for land acquisition.  The funds are being used to buy the remaining parcels of land adjacent to airport, to ensure compatible land use for airport and aircraft operations.

A separate $1 million appropriation was released to Maui Memorial Medical Center for construction and equipment to be used in the upgrade of the medical center’s fire alarm system.  Phase I focuses on changing fire safety devices to maintain fire codes; and phase II will focus on the fire sprinklers, fire extinguishing systems, smoke detectors, and signage.

Other projects included on the CIP funding list were categorized by education, health, and transportation. The projects help to address repair and maintenance backlogs that over the years have accumulated at public schools, the University of Hawai’i, health facilities, and the Hawai’i State Capitol.

“These CIP projects are part of an economic strategy that has already put our state back on track toward economic recovery,” said Governor Abercrombie.

“Since the start of 2012, my administration has announced the release of more than $732 million for CIPs selected for their potential to immediately address priority work while stimulating the economy and generating job opportunities for residents. More than $187 million of this has been for public school facilities across the state,” he said.

Allotment of funds approved by the governor also include the following projects:

Education

• $75,000,000 – Various Schools, statewide: Design, construction and works of art for school repairs and maintenance for schools statewide; projects include re-roofing, electrical upgrades, plumbing, and other school repairs and renovations. (According to the governor’s office, the DOE’s estimated backlog for repair and maintenance is currently $382 million.)
• $6,750,000 – Stevenson Middle School, O’ahu: Additional construction funds to complete the school’s multipurpose educational facility; the project is based on a learning curriculum focused on science and a team teaching approach and will include a flexible multipurpose space to accommodate large instructional meetings.
• $4,940,000 – DOE project positions, statewide: Fiscal Year 2013 staffing costs for 58 project-funded positions to provide the technical and clerical support necessary to adequately address CIP needs.
• $2,500,000 – Kailua High School, O’ahu: Design and construction for removal and replacement of bleachers and storage rooms for the soccer/football field at Kailua High School; DOE plans to replace the visitor side bleachers with concrete bleachers, provide a handicapped accessible path, and construct permanent storage for football and track equipment.
• $600,000 – Radford High School, O’ahu: Additional construction to upgrade the all-weather track from six to eight lanes, and to provide renovations to bleachers due to the larger track layout.
• $550,000 – Kalani High School, O’ahu: Design for girls locker room/shower building to achieve gender equity per Title IX.
• $200,000 – Lunalilo Elementary, O’ahu: Resurfacing of worn basketball courts and replacement of aged, outdated and non-functioning play equipment; this project will allow for multi-sport courts and provide removable equipment to support various games.

University of Hawai’i

• $12,500,000 – UH Manoa Athletic Facilities, O’ahu: Design and construction for projects including the Physical Education/Athletics Complex, football video platforms, Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex, Stan Sheriff Center Complex, Les Murakami Stadium, Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex, and Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium.
• $5,000,000 – Minor Capital Improvement Program Projects for Campuses of the Community College System, statewide: Design and construction for building renovations at Honolulu Community College, Kapi’olani Community College, Kaua’i Community College, and Leeward Community College.
• $825,000 – UH Manoa Richardson Law School, O’ahu: Design and construction as part of the law school’s master plan for expansion of the west (Phase I) and east (Phase II) buildings; this allotment will be used to design west wing improvements to the classroom/administrative building, public entry, community clinic, and faculty suites.

Health

• $7,100,000 – Hospital Information System/Electronic Medical Record System, statewide: Equipment and implementation of system elements as required to help ensure continued receipt of Medicaid and Medicare incentive funds.
• $50,500 – Le’ahi Hospital, O’ahu: Repair and maintenance, including replacement of the hospital’s electrical transformer.

Transportation

• $7,440,000 (and $29,760,000 federal funds) – Hawai’i Belt Road, Rehabilitation of Umauma Stream Bridge, Hawai’i Island: Construction of new concrete towers to support bridge loading requirements, widening of the existing bridge deck, correcting existing roadway deficiencies, and reconstructing bridge railings to meet current safety standards

Other

• $8,000,000 – Hawai’i State Capitol, O’ahu: Construction to replace the roof/deck, install waterproofing and resealing, and upgrade other related improvements to the Capitol building; the project is being coordinated with the State Historic Preservation Division because the Capitol is listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.
• $2,576,292 – DLNR project positions, statewide: Fiscal Year 2013 staffing and associated costs for project-funded positions necessary to adequately address CIP needs; projects undertaken by the CIP staff include those for ADA compliance, water and land development, forest and wildlife resources, water resources management, conservation and resources enforcement, park development and operation, ocean-based recreation, park interpretation, flood control, and public lands management.