Posted on: Saturday, July 21, 2001

New park may cost city extra $2.1 million

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer

The city may end up paying $2.1 million more in costs related to the Central O'ahu Regional Park, which opens today.

The City Council is being asked to approve increasing the cash payment to Castle & Cooke Homes Hawai'i Inc. from $4.5 million to $6.6 million.

City Managing Director Ben Lee said the increase is because of contaminated soil found on land the city swapped to Castle & Cooke to acquire the 269 acres where the park has been built.

The 1999 agreement called for the city to pay Castle & Cooke $4.5 million for the land and turn over a 37-acre parcel on Manager's Drive in Waipahu that is appraised at $8.2 million, in exchange for the park parcel, appraised at $12.7 million.

Lee said that leaded gasoline was discovered on the Waipahu property, which could have leaked from junked cars.

Although Castle & Cooke has estimated the cost of cleanup at $2.2 million to $2.4 million, Lee said he is confident that the cleanup can be done for under $2.1 million. "If it costs more than $2 million, we're not going to pay," he said.

However, Council Budget Chairman Steve Holmes said, "That's a lot of money if it were just cars being stored on the site."

He plans to collect more information before next week's budget committee meeting.