The city has awarded a $1.5 million contract to 57 Builders for the 4,000-square-foot police station building, which would be attached to an existing Army National Guard building.

Two citizens showed up at a public hearing on the project yesterday at Paki Community Park.

Stanley Uyehara, who lives across the street from the site, yesterday said he was pleased to hear that there wouldn't be as much traffic as he anticipated on two-lane 22nd Avenue.

"I'm concerned about the traffic," Uyehara said. "It's a tradeoff with the increase in security from the station. Crime isn't that bad in our area."

Lee said the station will house 30 officers and other personnel from the Waikiki police District 6 and East Honolulu police District 7, including burglary and theft detail detectives who work daytime hours.

Later, when the National Guard completes a move from its 22nd Avenue facility to Kalaeloa, the police department will be able to expand its presence and use the entire site, Lee said. The city anticipates acquiring the rest of the property in five or six years from now, Lee said.

The city has received three letters of support for the building and none against. A Special Management Use permit and a Diamond Head Special Design District permit must be granted by the City Council before construction can begin.

The East Honolulu police district runs from Punahou to Makapu'u and is the only one of O'ahu's nine police districts without a station. The 22nd Avenue location was selected in 2004.

The station originally was planned for city-owned land at the park-and-ride site on Keahole Street in Hawai'i Kai. But construction bids came in higher than the $5 million the city had set aside to build the station. Several months later, then-Mayor Jeremy Harris announced an agreement with the state over the National Guard site at 22nd Avenue.