BY BRENDAN SHRIANE | WEST HAWAII TODAY
Kona, your new community college is moving closer to reality.
Construction of the road to that college next to the proposed Palamanui development is progressing, if a bit slower than originally planned.
The 1.5-mile, $4.7 million road from Kaiminani Drive to what will someday be the University of Hawaii at West Hawaii appears to be 75 percent graded.
Roger Harris, director of government relations for Palamanui, said the road should be finished in February, a few months behind schedule -- it was originally to be finished in December.
Soon after the road is done, construction is expected to start on the community college above Kona International Airport.
John Morton, the University of Hawaii's vice president for community colleges, said the university system is currently looking through final designs for the new campus to replace the current crowded University of Hawaii Center West Hawaii in Kealakekua.
Morton expects all the permitting for the new campus to be done in the next five or six months, with money for the project released about that time. Construction of the $9.5 million first phase of the 78-acre campus is expected to begin early next year.
Morton expects construction of the 25,000-square-foot first phase to take 12 to 15 months.
Classes could begin at the new facility in spring or fall of 2013.
"We want it to happen as quickly as possible," Morton said.
Approximately 450 students attend school at the present Kealakekua campus in 12,500 square feet of classroom and office space, according to the university.
The first phase of the new campus would accommodate about 700 students, school officials told West Hawaii Today earlier this year.
After the college is built, Harris said, then construction will begin on Palamanui's town center area with shops, a business park and, eventually, homes on the 725-acre development.
"It's intended to be a walking village," Harris said. "The idea is to have good synergy between the college and the market here."
According to Morton, the state is paying Keauhou Kona Construction Corp. to build the road on state land. Eventually, though, Palamanui will repay the state for building the road and then it will be turned over to the county. Palamanui is also obligated to pay the school system another $5 million for the new campus, which will be built on state land adjacent to the development.
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Comments
Konaguy:
Thanks for letting me know what it proposed.
My point is that many projects don't get completed. Therefore, I can't imagine why the state thinks it will be paid back, since the project is still only a proposal. The only thing real is KKCC working on the road and getting paid by the state (us) - with no guarantee of repayment except for future promises (as long as the project does go forward).
So, the facts still are: 1. KKCC is being paid by the state. 2. The project is only a proposal at this time. 3. Promises have been made.
I hope this helps you understand.
I do understand that IF the project gets completed, the community will be benefited greatly. In today's clime, IF is an every increasily difficult word to overcome.
The State is paying for the roadway improvements (and will be reimbursed later), but Palamanui is contributing 5 million dollars (on top of the 9.5 million) for the college campus.
Yes, this roadway project will benefit developer. However, the college campus will benefit the community. Get your facts straight.
Did anyone know this is going on?
The state is keeping KKCC employed, apparently by paying for the road needed by a developer. KKCC is behind schedule (as are all large road projects in Hawaii). And the developer will eventually pay the state back for the road being built by KKCC - this payment will occur when there is snow on the runway in Kona International Airport.
So - given the track record of most large and ambitious projects, who really thinks the state will be repaid for making this road BEFORE the Palamanui project is more than a proposal?
We are sinking money into a non-development at this point - but we are keeping a large contractor in businessa anyway - public opinion on the WHT site shows any moneys for big projects only goes to keep the big-boys fat and happy and doesn't create real jobs for the people that need them.