The nonprofit Friends of Old Maui High School wants a master plan to guide what can be done to reuse the more than 90-year-old campus on Holomua Road.

"It can be such an asset to the county," said Barbara Long, president of the Friends group, which includes school alumni and supporters.

Breathing life back into the old campus will "take a long time and a lot of money," Long told The Maui News.

First opened amid a cluster of plantation camps in 1913, the high school campus saw its main administration building finished in 1921. It was designed by acclaimed Hawaii architect Charles W. Dickey.

After World War II, the move by plantation workers to own homes in the "Dream City" developments in Kahului shifted the population away from the sugar fields. When plantation camps around Haiku, Hamakuapoko and Paia were shut down to be converted to sugar cane fields, a new Maui High was constructed in Kahului, and the old campus was closed in 1973.

Plans for use of the old school include a proposal for a Patsy Takemoto Mink Center providing vocational training and related specialized educational programs to honor the late congresswoman and MHS alumni. As envisioned by the Friends, the center would perpetuate Mink's legacy of equal opportunity, education and civic duty.

Preliminary work on a master plan was outlined at the annual Friends meeting at the old school Saturday afternoon, with Michael Summers, senior planner with Chris Hart & Partners, describing four "guiding principles" for the project.

One is to advance the legacy of the school and the ideals that Mink embodied.

The second principle is to "engender a distinct sense of place" for the campus rich in natural beauty, history and architecture with the Dickey-designed administration building.

The third is to "foster sustainability," which was tied to the fourth principle of financial viability for the uses of the facilities – having public and private uses capable of supporting the long-term operation of the site.

While working on achieving the principles, Summers said the consulting group is talking to a master plan focus group made up of alumni, county officials and the surrounding community. Architects and engineers are working on technical studies on the structural integrity of the facilities that have been damaged by neglect and a fire.

During the presentation to about 35 supporters of the Friends, Summers said the master plan could be ready as early as August. After the meeting, Summers said the master plan would be conceptual, showing possible landscape plans and identifying potential uses of the campus.

The master plan will include a project vision statement, policies and a list of potential funding sources.

The master plan will also identify hurdles for the development, such as infrastructure shortfalls. The county water system doesn't serve the former high school's grounds, and parts of Holomua Road are in need of repair, Summers said.

But with improvements to the infrastructure, consultant Hart said development of the school could be a catalyst for other developments at Hamakuapoko.

A $275,000 county grant is paying for the master plan process.

Long said the Friends will be seeking additional state and county money to continue the planning process.

Mayor Charmaine Tavares, who attended the school for one year and was the guest speaker at the meeting Saturday, pledged her administration's support.

"We'll do whatever it takes," she said.

She also commended the Friends group for cleaning up the old campus. Several years ago, she said, there were tears in her eyes from seeing the buildings overgrown with brush and filled with litter.

"The place is looking terrific now," she said.

Long said volunteers and organizations such as Community Work Day and AmeriCorps have been instrumental in the success of the cleanup.