Senate committee cuts construction money

By Kevin Dayton and Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Staff Writers

The Senate Ways and Means Committee has approved $56 million for a biotechnology research center in Kaka'ako, but didn't offer any money to move the University of Hawai'i medical school there.

Gov. Ben Cayetano proposed a two-year construction budget of almost $900 million, but the Senate committee trimmed that to $545 million, said Ways and Means Chairman Brian Taniguchi, D-11th (McCully-Mo'ili'ili-Manoa).

Cayetano had requested $141 million for a complex in Kaka'ako that would include the medical school and research center.

The House draft of the budget offered only $10 million for the facility, leaving the rest of the financing to private donations or revenue bonds that would have to be repaid by the school or the research facility.

Taniguchi said the Senate wanted to provide more money than the House offered "because we need some commitment from the state."

He said the plan may be refined later in the session to include private financing or revenue bonds.

"We think the med school will at this point have to stay on the (existing) campus," he said.

Edwin Cadman, dean of the UH medical school, said the Senate's budget draft was a good sign.

"I'm very optimistic with the Ways and Means recommendation," he said. "That means that the state is committed, they put money on the table so we can go out and raise private money.

"I never expected the state to come through with the 100 percent (of the medical school request) because of the other economic needs of the state, but I'm delighted that at least the Senate has appropriated some dollars so that we can begin the process," he said. "We're going to try to raise the funds for the whole medical school."

Cadman added that the research component of the medical school would bring the state $60 million to $80 million annually and would create between 400 and 500 new jobs.

The governor also proposed that the state put up $30 million for an aquarium in Kaka'ako, but both the House and Senate refused.