Koko Head park plans cut back
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer
HAWAI'I KAI — What started as a plan to boost community pride by building a teen, performing arts or meeting center at Koko Head District Park must be drastically scaled back because there's not enough money to see those goals through.
Initially the community and members of the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board had asked the city to spend the $1.5 million given to its vision team and neighborhood board for a 3,000-square-foot community center that included a performing arts space with a stage and restrooms, storage and air conditioning.
But under a plan advanced by City Councilman Charles Djou, the council dropped $5.5 million worth of park projects islandwide to pay for the proposed East Honolulu police station. Among the cuts was $500,000 of the money for the park project, leaving about $1 million that was appropriated in 2002 — before the city's belt tightening.
• What: Community meeting to brainstorm ideas to improve the meeting facilities at Koko Head District park • When: 6:30 p.m. Monday • Where: Koko Head District Park multipurpose room.
Now, with only $900,000 — all that's left after $100,000 was spent for the architects — community advocates say the only viable option is to use the money to make improvements at Koko Head District Park rather than build a free-standing performing arts building.
Public meeting
"This is all the money we have to renovate Koko Head District Park," said Toni Robinson, city Department of Parks and Recreation East Honolulu manager. "We need to look at what needs to be fixed at that park.
"We'd get more bang if we went for upgrading the existing facility."
A community meeting has been set for Monday for residents to discuss what renovations they want.
Decisions must be made before October, said Peter Caderas, city vision team Department of Design and Construction coordinator. If no plans are put together and bids are not awarded by December, the money will lapse and no park improvements will be made to the park, Caderas said.
Among the ideas being mentioned are:
• Air conditioning for meeting rooms used for adult aerobics, summer fun classes, martial arts and community meetings.
• Remodeling a portion of the space for a teen center, a place where teenagers would want to hang out with couches and music and possibly Internet access.
Among the park's facilities that could use work are a tiny computing center that is not air conditioned, an inadequate electrical system, space wasted in an unused kitchen that separates two multipurpose rooms and two other meeting rooms that need paint and remodeling. The park also needs folding tables and chairs for meetings.
Koko Head District Park was built in the mid-1970s and includes the multipurpose rooms, a gym, some basketball courts, tennis courts, an aging playground, baseball fields and two temporary skateboard ramps. The park is 59 acres.
About a year ago, the community and the city approved a $13 million master plan for the park that includes plans for a 50-meter swimming pool, a teen center, expansion of Goeas Field and a new playground. All of these improvements require City Council approval.
None of the proposed improvements has been financed and all are considered long-range — about 10 to 20 years out.
Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.
