After nearly a century in existence, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii has finally found a permanent home. Yesterday, the chamber celebrated the blessing and dedication of its new office building in Chinatown.

"It's important for us to have this space," said Chinese Chamber president Dennis Hwang. "It allows us to complete our mission of serving the community, especially in this down economy."

The chamber is an important resource for the local business community, providing free classes to members hoping to start their own businesses. The group also helps member companies with their taxes and other aspects of running a business.

The new headquarters, at 8 S. King St., was purchased for nearly $1.7 million and is in the midst of a two-phase renovation project. The 1,300 square feet of office space occupied by the chamber is more than twice the size of what it had been leasing at its previous headquarters at 42. N King St.

The first phase consisted of basic renovations, including knocking down and rebuilding walls, painting and replacing flooring and fixtures at a cost of about $50,000.

The second phase will include improvements to make the building more environmentally friendly. The chamber hopes to raise enough money to add elevators and replace the roof.

The building consists of the Chinese Chamber's executive offices, a conference room, and a multi-purpose room to be used for the free classes.

"This is a new beginning for the chamber. We finally have a place to call our home," said former Chinese Chamber president Ted C.T. Li.

The organization was founded in 1911 as the Chinese Merchants' Association, with its first headquarters on the second floor of the C.Q. Yee Hop market on King Street.