Kamehameha Schools officials are proposing demolishing the Keauhou Beach Hotel from the top down.
Kamehameha Schools officials are proposing demolishing the Keauhou Beach Hotel from the top down.
Details about the demolition plan became public last week with a draft environmental assessment for the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate plans to create an educational center at the Keauhou property, which they now refer to as Kahaluu Makai.
“A form of ‘soft demolition’ of the interior would first be initiated to remove all wood, plaster, glass, drywall, etc., leaving only the building’s exterior walls and structural members,” the assessment said. “The windows and exterior openings will be sealed, and the interiors will be gutted floor by floor possibly using a small ‘bobcat excavator’ with a hoe ram.”
Debris will be removed via an enclosed chute. Contractors would then use large machinery to remove the building shell.
The assessment noted the proximity to the water — the hotel actually sits on top of the shoreline — and the need to take care with the demolition.
“Building portions located over the lagoon could be removed with chipping guns and wire saws, and conducted in a manner so that debris, dust, and resulting particles are contained,” the assessment said. “Existing columns in the tide pool would need to be removed to restore the site as close as possible to original conditions. Columns would be first cut off at or near the footings, and the remaining concrete footings removed to bring the concrete level with the bottom of the tide pool.”
Finally, they would demolish the building’s basement, then stabilize the site of the excavated area for redevelopment as part of a new basement supporting the project’s facilities and operations, the assessment said.
Bringing down the hotel is expected to cost about $11.5 million. In addition to removing the hotel, Kamehameha Schools officials intend to create a Visitor Heritage Center, as well as develop an educational facility on the hotel property, which also is home to numerous cultural and archaeological artifacts. The entire project is estimated to cost about $34.3 million.
Completing the environmental review and getting the permits to demolish the hotel will likely take until the middle of next year, the draft environmental assessment said, and actual demolition is expected to take about a year. The remaining construction is going to be phased out through 2023.
Officials also laid out their argument against restoring the hotel, which they said would cost about $50 million.
The hotel had not been profitable for at least six years prior to its closure, and the operator was unlikely to have the capital to address years of deferred maintenance.
“Outdated facilities on the property contributed to the resort’s operational losses, and it was not able to compete with larger and more contemporary resort destinations such as Waikoloa and Hualalai,” the assessment said. “It has been estimated that about $25 million in deferred maintenance costs would likely have been required to improve the resort’s aging facilities, and an additional $25 million needed to upgrade the resort to reach a ‘brand standard’ as a resort on the Kona coast.”
In order to recoup that large of an investment, school officials said the hotel would have needed to increase its room rate significantly, from $150 a night average to $250 a night, keep an 80 percent occupancy rate and keep operating costs at 40 percent. Even with those changes, the expected return on investment would be about 5.25 percent, officials said.
“Therefore, upgrading the resort to try to compete with other resorts on the Kona coast does not appear economically feasible,” the document said.
Waste materials will be separated on site and recycled as much as possible, officials said. About 80 percent of materials will be reused as general fill material, pavement aggregate and possibly material for drainage improvements, the document said.
Eventually, school officials hope to offer a Visitor Education program. The program would be able to accommodate about 200 visitors daily.
“The purpose for this center is to manage access within the property for visitors wanting to visit the cultural resources (e.g. heiau),” the assessment said. “Although the demand by the public for visiting this site may be greater, (Kamehameha Schools) needs to manage access and the number of visitors allowed daily to: 1) maintain the integrity and intrinsic values of cultural sites; 2) maintain the integrity of the overall on-site experience; 3) prevent conflicts with educational and cultural activities occurring throughout the day; and 4) manage security, safety, and discretion for learners and practitioners.”
Officials said they hope to develop a “more robust and formal visitor education program” later at an on-site Heritage Center.
“The concept planned is for visitors interested in the property to be led on docent tours to view areas, and learn about the natural and cultural resources present,” the document said. “Pedestrian paths with signage would be established from the Heritage Center leading visitors to designated viewing areas of the heiau. Visitors would be required to stay within designated areas and paths. Access to the beach would not be allowed from these managed paths since a public pedestrian path is provided along the southern boundary of the property for that purpose.”
Email Erin Miller at emiller@westhawaiitoday.com.