Construction Funds for West Hawai`i Campus Released

Gov. Neil Abercrombie today released $7.5 million for construction of two buildings at the West Hawai`i Community College in Kona.

The funds are for the Culinary Arts Building and the Health Science and Student Services Building for the campus being developed in the Kealakehe area of Kailua-Kona.

The state appropriation is in addition to $9.8 million for college facilities already provided by Palamanui LLC, a partnership between Hunt Companies and Charles R. Schwab. The college, which is expected to open in 2014, is being developed under a collaboration between the university and Palamanui’s developers.

The funding is part of $92 million released by Abercrombie today for improvements to the UH system. They include $60 million for capital projects and previously deferred maintenance as well as $19.4 million for health, safety and code requirements at campuses across the state.