Kona Historical Society receives $600K grant

HONOLULU – Capital improvement funds to the tune of $600,000 were released to the Kona Historical Society for the construction of a gallery and museum Wednesday by Gov. David Ige.

“Over the past 40 years, the Kona Historical Society (KHS) has served our community well,” said Sen. Dru Mamo Kanuha (D-Kona, Ka‘u), whose district will include the new gallery. “I want to thank Governor Ige for his efforts and look forward to 40 more years of KHS preserving and sharing the illustrious history of Kona.”

The funds from the 2018 state Legislature will cover a good chunk of the cost to be supplemented by grants from private donors. The organization plans a capital campaign to cover any remaining costs as the project moves closer to reality.

Building the Kona Museum Gallery is anticipated to cost more than $1 million.

So long as all the required permits and plan approvals are received, KHS, a Smithsonian-Affiliate, has a goal to complete the Kona Museum Gallery by the end of 2019. Once underway, construction should take a few months.

The Kona Museum Gallery will be located off Mamalahoa Highway at the Kona Historical Society’s main campus, home to the H.N. Greenwell Historic Store Museum, the Portuguese Stone Bread Oven, and office facilities, according to a draft environmental assessment released in February.

The two-story, 1,360 square-foot building has been designed to blend seamlessly into the historic buildings and landscape surrounding it, and will include an exhibit area, retail area, storage and restrooms, the draft environmental document reads.