County of Maui purchases David K. Trask Jr. building in Wailuku for $3.8M

The County of Maui purchased the David K. Trask Jr. building—next to the county’s Kalana O Maui building in Wailuku—for $3.8 million as part of ongoing efforts to cut millions of dollars the county pays each year for rent.

The sale of the two-story building, funded by an estimated increase in transient accommodation tax, was completed Monday, July 31, 2023, according to a County of Maui press release.

“The county spends more than $2 million each year for rent to house our increasing services in buildings it does not own,” Mayor Richard Bissen said. “This acquisition will help us reduce rent paid and allow us to purchase a building located right next door to Kalana O Maui. By working together with the County Council and building owner Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association, we’re able to gain significant savings in the long run.”

The David K. Trask Jr. building at 2145 Kaohu St. will continue to hold county tenants Department of Environmental Management administration, along with non-county tenants Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association and Berding & Weil law offices.

Soon, the county’s Community Development Block Grant employees, along with some Parks and Recreation Department staff who have to temporarily move due to War Memorial Complex upgrades, will join the building.

Constructed in 1979, the David K. Trask Jr. building is 15,846 square feet on a 16,255 square-foot lot.

Former owner Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association had expressed a desire to sell the property to the County of Maui, and the nonprofit’s board of directors officially agreed to sell on May 22, 2023, according to the announcement.

The Maui County Council in May voted unanimously to adopt a resolution approving the sale, which is required by law for real property purchases that exceed $250,000.

Fiscal year 2022 data shows that the county paid approximately $2.4 million in rent – about $850,000 less than fiscal year 2021 rent when county offices were moved to properties it recently acquired.