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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, September 27, 2003

UH to tackle repair backlog

Advertiser Staff

The University of Hawai'i has been authorized to issue $59 million for construction projects on all 10 campuses in what officials called a "big step forward" in attacking the system's $180 million repair and maintenance backlog.

The contracts will cover 57 projects and will go out to bid starting immediately, according to the UH Board of Regents.

The board authorized the UH administration to begin the bidding process on projects above $500,000, starting with repairs at the Art Building and Pope Laboratory on the Manoa campus. Pope Lab is part of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.

Manoa economist Carl Bonham said this level of construction activity will provide jobs for anywhere from 600 to 1,000 construction workers.

Some of the projects have been on the books for two years, with the money waiting until plans could be drawn, said Sam Callejo, chief of staff for UH.

The Board of Regents had previously required the administration to seek authorization for one project at a time, but changed its mind and approved the entire package of projects for the 2003-04 fiscal year, said Callejo.

Board of Regents chairwoman Patricia Lee said the projects will begin to address the "huge backlog of repair and maintenance needs currently facing the entire university."

And Jan Yokota, director of capital improvements for the university system, said authorization to move ahead is a "a big step forward" for the university in maintaining its facilities.

Both thanked the governor and Legislature for making the appropriations.

UH-Manoa has 28 projects, including those slated for Holmes Hall, the College of Business Administration, the Bookstore and the Biomedical Sciences Building.

UH-Hilo will have 13 projects, including several renovations, teaching lab upgrades and modifications for accessibility.

The community college system projects include such things as resurfacing parking and roadways, correcting structural deficiencies, repairing or replacing fire alarm systems, upgrading electrical systems and repairing termite damage.

"This is great news for the construction industry," said Bruce Coppa, executive director of Pacific Resource Partnership. "The university is one of the few state departments putting money back into the local economy."

Bonham also said these projects could generate between $80 million and $120 million in additional economic output for the state and bring in anywhere from $3 million to $6 million in additional tax revenues over the next few years.

The authorization for the general obligation bonds to finance the projects is with the state Department of Budget and Finance, which will issue the bonds, said Callejo.

The projects are all in different phases of design and will go out to bid as plans are ready.

"These are projects that have funding," he said. "And we're ready to go either to design or bid."