$130 Mil in CIP Funding Coming to Big Island

State lawmakers approved more than $130 million in Capital Improvement Projects for Hawai‘i Island during the 2021 Legislative session. With a very tight state budget, lawmakers selected the most critical road, school, airport and other infrastructure projects for funding on the Big Island.

“We appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into securing these funds. This CIP budget will help build safe, healthy, and sustainable communities for the people of Hawai‘i Island,” the Hawai‘i Island House delegation said in a statement. “This year’s unprecedented session has been an exercise in figuring out what our priorities are. Given the challenges that our state is facing, we are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish in terms of getting these funds to the places they are needed most. From critical infrastructure to educational facilities, these funds are an investment in our future.”

The district breakdown of the CIP budget for projects across Hawai‘i Island is as follows:

District 1 – North Hilo, Hāmākua Coast

• $21.5 million for Hilo Medical Center to, among other things, purchase two replacement chillers, construction of a new intensive care unit, and make improvements to the Center’s ventilation system
• $774,000 for general maintenance, building refurbishment, and equipment repairs at E. B. De Silva Elementary School
• $580,000 for the installation of a photovoltaic electrical system at Laupāhoehoe Community Public Charter School
• $4.5 million for the installation of a rubberized track, bleachers, a synthetic turf field, and other ground improvements at Hilo High School
• $3.25 million for planning, construction and equipment for improvements at the Lower Hāmākua Ditch Watershed
• $1.97 million for protection of 13,000 acres of vital water resources and endangered species in Makahanaloa
• $900,000 for the removal of the Hōkū Ke‘a Telescope Observatory at the summit of Mauna Kea

District 2 – Hilo, Keaukaha

• $253,000 for an electrical upgrade to Building B to Keaukaha Elementary, and other technological renovations to facilitate distance learning
• $5 million for the design and construction of a new girls’ athletic locker room at Waiākea High School, including showers, lockers, offices, restrooms, equipment, and other site improvements
• $1.4 million for terminal improvements in the holdrooms, ticket lobby, and restrooms at Hilo International Airport
• $10 million for planning, land acquisition, and construction at Hilo Harbor designed to make the harbor safer, more efficient, and more operational
• $10 million for the renewal, improvement, and modernization of facilities and infrastructure at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo

District 3 – South Hilo, Kea‘au, Mountain View, Volcano, Pāhala

• $250,000 for the installation of air conditioning units and ventilation improvements to Building A at Kea‘au Middle School
• $10 million for the planning, design, and construction of a new public library to service the Kea‘au and Mountain View communities
• $18 million for construction to replace the current one-lane 4 Mile Creek bridge at the bottom of Haihai Street, and make other ground and sit improvements in that vicinity
• $1.23 million for ground and site improvements at Mountain View Elementary School

District 4 – Puna Makai

• $1.3 million for a new acceleration lane and right-turn-on-red installation at the intersection of Shower Drive and Highway

District 5 – South Kona, Nā‘ālehu

• $555,000 for drainage improvements and other ground and site repairs at Ho‘okena Elementary School

District 6 – Kailua-Kona

• $60,000 to the Pālamanui Forest Conservation for the environmental protection of endangered lowland dry forest species
• $2.5 million to design and construct a bridge connecting Building A and Building B at Kahakai Elementary School
• $1.2 million for facility and infrastructure renovations, including upgrades to the fire alarm system, at Kealakehe Intermediate School
• $800,000 for general maintenance and upkeep costs at Hulihe‘e Palace State Museum
• $2.25 million for sewage and electrical system improvements at the Honokōhau small boat harbor
• $1.7 million for expansion and improvement efforts at the West Hawai‘i Veterans Cemetery
• $18 million for various facility renovations at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole

District 7 – North Kona, Kohala

• $2 million for land acquisition and structural improvements at the Waimea Deep Water Monitor Well
• $1.8 million for the completion of the Kanu o ka ‘Āina Public Charter School multipurpose building
• $1.6 million for improvements to the dock and break wall at the Kawaihae North small boat harbor
• $10 million for planning, land acquisition, and construction at Kawaihae Harbor designed to make the harbor safer, more efficient, and more operational