A small room meant to greet cruise ship passengers at Hilo’s Pier 1 remains locked and off limits, more than three years after renovations were expected to be complete.
A small room meant to greet cruise ship passengers at Hilo’s Pier 1 remains locked and off limits, more than three years after renovations were expected to be complete.
The new “Aloha Room” and adjacent restrooms were part of a $5 million state Department of Transportation upgrade to the pier’s warehouse, known as the “Pier 1 shed,” which passengers walk through on their way to a taxi staging area.
But despite the work being complete, and the warehouse open to visitors, DOT officials still don’t have an estimate for when they will open restrooms and the greeting room, and may even have to redo some of the work depending on input from Hawaii County.
“The Hawaii Department of Transportation Harbors Division is working with the Hawaii County Fire Department to address any comments they may have for the Hilo Harbor Pier 1 Shed project,” said DOT spokesman Tim Sakahra in a short statement to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
“Upon receipt of Hawaii County comments, the Harbors Division will address them accordingly.”
That’s unusual since harbors projects are exempt from county building codes.
Rob Perreira, county fire prevention bureau battalion chief, said DOT approached the Fire Department anyway seeking its approval after starting construction.
“Piers are not governed by the county building code,” he said. “But (DOT) wants the Fire Department to say the pier is safe.”
That’s challenging, Perreira said, since the Aloha Room and restrooms have walls that don’t reach the top of the warehouse.
“We never looked at anything” as construction occurred, he said. “All of a sudden they want us to be a witness to testing and sign off. As you know, liability when you sign off on something is a big factor.”
Perreira said the renovations have to meet the county building code for the Fire Department to say it approves of the work, and the review is currently in the hands of county Public Works.
Brandon Gonzalez, deputy public works director, said DOT provided some draft copies of its plans, but the department is lacking details.
“They got to get us more information,” he said. “Everyone can get a better idea of what can be done, if anything.”
In the meantime, greeters with Destination Hilo, which is supposed to use the Aloha Room, will continue to be positioned under an awning near the taxis.
Joyce Wubker, the group’s visitor services coordinator, said they were expecting to be back inside by the end of 2012.
With the bathrooms closed, she said passengers have had to use portable toilets instead.
“They are better than nothing,” Wubker said. “We’re happy to even have it. It’s just, we’d like to get inside.”
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
Hilo cargo building
The state Department of Transportation has begun moving in tenants to a new cargo building at Hilo International Airport.
Nearly 70 percent of the space in the 60,000-square-foot building is now leased, according to DOT.
The $27.4 million facility was completed in March 2015 but the department had trouble putting the space to use due to disputes over leases and amenities, according to a Honolulu Star-Advertiser story published in February. The state was losing $50,000 a month in lease revenue as a result.
DOT says it is collecting more than $37,000 a month in rental income.
Negotiations continue with Hawaiian Airlines.
A Hawaiian Airlines spokesman said the airline expects to reach a lease agreement shortly and begin using the building in 10 months after improvements are made.
“The building was designed many years ago, and its original configuration was not suitable for the current and future cargo needs of incoming tenants,” the spokesman said in an email. “Several modifications had to be negotiated, from appropriate lighting to construction of access roads and even installation of new doors to the facility.”