Posted on: Friday, January 9, 2004

Dobelle plan would sell land to start West campus

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

University of Hawai'i President Evan Dobelle suggested yesterday that part of the 500 acres set aside for a UH-West O'ahu campus in Kapolei could be sold to help pay for a four-year campus to serve the Leeward Coast.

"Maybe the sale of part of the property will bring $30 (million) or $40 million," he told key members of the state Senate yesterday during a UH budget briefing before the official opening of the Legislature. He said that if that happened, he'd approach the Legislature for matching funds — and the combination could build Phase I of the campus.

"Maybe that would be more palatable to the governor and the Legislature," he said, referring to opposition to building a new campus because of its cost, projected at $350 million over 12 years.

During the same meeting, Dobelle assured members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Education Committee that money would be raised to build a new Cancer Research Center, but he said no money had yet been committed for the $150 million project.

In looking toward supplemental money for the operating budget this year, UH asked for $20 million, but Gov. Linda Lingle reduced the request to $5.1 million. She set the capital improvements project request at $25 million, to be primarily used for repairs and maintenance.