GOVERNOR LINGLE RELEASES $10 MILLION TO UPGRADE HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY COLLEGE’S MANONO CAMPUS AND UH CENTER AT WEST HAWAI‘I

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released $10,000,000 to the University of Hawai‘i for renovations to Hawai‘i Community College’s Manono Campus in East Hawai‘i and development of the University of Hawai‘i Center at West Hawai‘i’s new campus at Palamanui.

The East Hawai‘i project at the Manono Campus involves the renovation of Hale Aloha, an 18,309-square-foot building.  The estimated construction cost for this project is $9,324,000.  An additional $708,000 will pay for construction management of both the East Hawai‘i and ongoing West Hawai‘i project.

The West Hawai‘i project for the new campus includes the development of a 7,000-foot roadway that connects the planned UH Center at West Hawai‘i’s new campus with Kaimi Nani Drive.  The project also includes on-site infrastructure and other related improvements.  The estimated construction cost for this project is $7,396,000.

“These funds will lead to more opportunities for students on the Big Island to pursue their higher education goals,” said Governor Lingle.  “It is important to continue to modernize the Manono Campus where many of the buildings were constructed in the 1950s, while also working to provide students in West Hawai‘i with a permanent campus.”

Over the past three years, Governor Lingle has released more than $9.7 million in design, planning and construction funds for improvements to the East and West Hawai‘i campuses. 

In November 2007, Governor Lingle released $2 million for planning and design of the UH Center at West Hawai‘i’s new campus at Palamanui.  This was followed in September 2008 by the release of $987,000 in planning and design funds for improvements to the Manono Campus in Hilo.  In March of this year, the Governor released $6,720,000 in construction funds for the East and West Hawai‘i campuses, specifically for the roadway for the UH Center at West Hawai‘i and the Manono campus project.

“We are very pleased that Governor Lingle has released this funding for our Manono campus in East Hawai‘i and our University of Hawai‘i Center at West Hawai‘i,” said Hawai‘i Community College Interim Chancellor Noreen Yamane.  “We are committed to meeting the higher education needs of Hawai‘i Island and ensuring access to educational opportunities. This support will enable us to expand our capacity to fully service our island.”

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