clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com
BY CAROLYN LUCAS-ZENK | WEST HAWAII TODAY
A familiar sport and game complex in Kailua-Kona can no longer swing it.
Swing Zone on Makala Boulevard closed Monday because of Queen Liliuokalani Trust’s refusal to extend its lease to make improvements and the inability to sell the business, said Brenda Lam, the leaseholder and a member of Swing Zone LLC, a limited liability company.
Swing Zone’s current lease was due to expire in December. The company had three potential buyers, but when Queen Liliuokalani Trust couldn’t guarantee a longer lease, past 2015, the deal lost its attraction and fell through, Lam said.
“We’re hoping the trust changes its mind,” she added.
The current lease has no option rights to extend. However, Queen Liliuokalani Trust’s planning team did reach an agreement, which offered Swing Zone and its potential buyers the opportunity to extend the lease to Dec. 31, 2015, said Mike Walsh, vice president of financial, reporting and regulatory affairs for the trust.
Any date beyond that was deemed not appropriate for the property because of the future growth changes happening in the area and the county’s plans to realign Makala Boulevard. The proposed realignment cuts through Swing Zone, Walsh said.
Asked what the trust’s plans were for the property, Walsh responded, “Nothing has been finalized.”
Since 1998, Swing Zone had offered an 18-hole miniature golf course, a six-hole par-3 course, a driving range and six batting cages on Queen Liliuokalani Trust land near Old Kona Airport Park, Lam said.
It was a favorite spot mostly for kamaaina, as well as local T-Ball teams and junior golf programs. However, it was also popular with some snowbirds, who were dedicated repeat customers from December to February, Lam said.
“Making the decision to close was sad. We have been a part of the community for such a long time. We spent so much time, money and effort into trying to make it work,” she said. “We will miss being a part of many social gatherings and practices that took place at Swing Zone.”
The best part, Lam said, was the customers.
“We were on a first-name basis with many of our loyal customers and have enjoyed their friendships,” she said. “All of the support over the years means so much to us.”
clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com