A nonprofit hoping to build senior housing and a veterans service center in Hilo say plans are underway with early phases of construction set to finish this month.
A nonprofit hoping to build senior housing and a veterans service center in Hilo say plans are underway with early phases of construction set to finish this month.
Hawaii Island Veterans Memorial Inc., a 19-year-old veterans development group, wants to build a 75-unit senior-housing facility, along with a combined veterans service center and medical clinic, on a 7.5-acre parcel of land on Kawili Street.
The group signed a lease with the county more than a decade ago. But plans stalled in 2008, when federal, state and county funding commitments fell through because of the recession, said Bob Williams, project manager and Hawaii Island Veterans chairman.
Williams told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald this week things are once again moving forward. Earlier this year, the group received its first increment of a $425,000 state Department of Defense grant which it’s using to fund a $300,000 common-use driveway entrance and sewer connection on the property — currently underway. Driveway construction is estimated to cost at least $300,000.
“We’re just pressing on with what we can do right now,” Williams said.
The group next wants to consign its lease of the upper portion of the property — about 5.5 acres where the 75-unit complex is planned — to EAH Housing, Inc., a nonprofit housing development corporation which has committed to funding the housing. EAH wants construction to start in 2018, Williams said.
Williams said the housing complex will be an “affordable senior independent living community.” It will include a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units along with a multi-purpose activity center and a dining area.
Housing preference would be given to veterans and their spouses ages 62 and up who earn between 60 to 80 percent of HUD median-income limit. The complex is estimated to cost between $38-$40 million.
Funding for the veterans service center — estimated to cost between $6-$8 million — hasn’t been secured.
The group says it is seeking funding through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If that doesn’t happen, it will look at alternative sources, Williams.
“If we don’t have a firm commitment from the VA within the next 18 months, we will pursue another service provider,” he said. “They would then build a facility, occupy it and lease space to the VA.”
The center — estimated to be 10,500 square feet — is slated for the lower portion of the Kawili land. It’s designed as a “one-stop shop” for veterans services, Williams said, and would also include a combined out-patient medical clinic, currently located at the Hilo Medical Center. The current veterans service center is located on Lanihuli Street.
Williams said there are more than 25,000 active military, veterans and eligible seniors on the island who could benefit from the project once complete. The group is also raising money this year through it’s annual “East Hawaii Jazz &Blues Festival” on Oct. 30.