KAPOLEI — After nearly two decades of planning, the Hawai'i State Judiciary yesterday broke ground on its $124.5 million Kapolei Court Complex.

After it is completed in late 2009, the complex will house Family Court and a juvenile detention center, giving underserved Kapolei-area residents better access to court services and helping to ease crowding in Honolulu's courts, said Chief Justice Ronald Moon.

"We've finally accomplished what we started 20 years ago — to create a courthouse service to the people not only on West O'ahu, but throughout the island to alleviate the conditions that we have in Honolulu, which has risen to such a point that it is hazardous," Moon said.

The facility also will help to establish Kapolei as O'ahu's "Second City" and foster economic growth in the 'Ewa region, Moon said.

Planning for the new Kapolei complex started in 1989, but its construction cost escalated to $95 million, forcing the Judiciary to request an additional $25.2 million from the Legislature this year.

More than 80 people attended yesterday's blessing and groundbreaking ceremony at the corner of Kamokila Boulevard and Kapolei Parkway.

Makakilo resident Kioni Dudley, 68, said he thinks the court complex will be a great addition to Kapolei.

Dudley, vice chairman of the Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board, said it will provide jobs to area residents and help ease traffic congestion.

"It's good to have people coming out this way and to have a service that's going to keep people from going into town," Dudley said. "I just hope that more people who work here will consider moving into the area so that they don't have to travel at 4 in the morning."

Upon completion of the complex, most existing Family Court functions in Honolulu will be transferred to Kapolei, as will District Court cases from Wai'anae.

But Moon said he doesn't think the travel time to Kapolei will be a burden for Honolulu residents. Some Family Court services in the Honolulu courthouse building, yet to be determined, will be maintained to accommodate people there, he said.

Keanui Doane, 56, who has supervised the decades-old secured juvenile detention facility on Alder Street for nearly 20 years, said she has been looking forward to the day when a new facility is built. She said the Alder Street facility is crumbling.

"They would fix our roof only if it came tumbling down," said Doane, laughing. "We don't even have (workable) water fountains for our children," she said. "They deserve better, much better; they're already going to be locked up and it's already traumatic for them."