Mo`oheau Bandstand, Bus Terminal Renovations Planned

The busy Mo`oheau Park bandstand and bus terminal in downtown Hilo will be seeing some improvements soon.

The improvements will include changes to parking, walkways, ramps and restrooms to fulfill the requirements of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, according to a spokesman for county Department of Parks and Recreation.

The Mo`oheau Bandstand, which will host Friday night’s Democratic Party Rally, will be made more accessible with ADA improvements. Photo by Dave Smith.

Other scheduled improvements include revamping the restrooms and re-roofing, painting and installation of new windows, doors and cabinets, spokesman Jason Armstrong said.

The project’s first phase, which will begin Monday and is expected to be completed Sept. 21, will require restricting access to much of the park. The bus terminal will remain open.

The terminal building itself will be the focus of Phase 2, which is expected to be completed in late December. Temporary canopy shelters with seating will be erected to accommodate Hele-On bus passengers. Portable bathrooms and wash basins will be in place for the public’s use.

Bathrooms in the Mo`oheau Bus Terminal, a portion of which is shown above, will be renovated under a project expected to be completed in December. Photo by Dave Smith.

The Hilo Downtown Improvement Association, which uses the terminal to sell bus tickets and taxi coupons and to provide visitor information, will move to a mobile office trailer.

Vehicular access to the terminal will be restricted to just Hele-On buses during construction. Private buses, taxicabs and other vehicles will be directed to use alternate access to a parking lot adjacent to the terminal, Armstrong said.

As it has for decades in even-numbered years, the bandstand will provide the venue Friday night for the Democratic Party’s election-eve rally.