Hawaii Community College is looking to redevelop its current Manono Street campus, foregoing costlier options to move to a larger site elsewhere in Hilo.
The community college has operated at its current 20.7-acre campus along Kawili Street since 1956. Last year, it enlisted a consultant to study the feasibility of three long-term redevelopment options to update the campus’ aging infrastructure and add more space.
Those options were to either renovate the Manono site, relocate to a 120-acre parcel above Komohana Street or relocate to a 35-acre parcel on Kawili Street across from the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus.
The consultant’s report determined relocating to either of the proposed sites would be significantly more expensive.
Moving to the Komohana site, where the land is completely undeveloped and would require extensive infrastructure, would cost an estimated $286.3 million, according to John Morton, UH vice president for community colleges, who presented the report findings to a Board of Regents committee last week.
Moving to the site across from UH-Hilo, which also has been targeted for a mixed-use commercial center called University Village, would cost $275.7 million and also would require heavy infrastructure improvements, excavation and grading. It also would create traffic issues with UH-Hilo.
Meanwhile, renovating the Manono campus, which would include electrical, water and sewer infrastructure upgrades and construction of additional two-story buildings, would cost an estimated $168.7 million.
“As much as we might want a lovely new campus, there is just no way the state is going to be able to afford that given all the other things happening with the university,” Morton said, referring to a deferred maintenance backlog at UH-Manoa and development work at UH-West Oahu.
Morton said the community college now is “rethinking the need for a destination campus” in Hilo and instead looking at ways to increase its presence in other parts of the island via smaller hubs.
For example, after renovating the Manono facilities, it would look to expand HCC’s Palamanui campus in West Hawaii, he said, or operate via satellite education centers in rural areas such as Ka‘u and Puna.
HCC will to continue to share facilities with UH-Hilo, including the library, student center, bookstore, dormitories and automotive facilities.
“The original design was to (accommodate) 5,000 FTE (full-time equivalent) students (in Hilo), which is around four times bigger than what it currently is,” Morton said. “And we came to the conclusion that was not going to serve the Big Island well. It’s too big, and people are not going to easily be able to drive to Hilo or Palamanui as the only two destinations.”
Under the islandwide model, “we can serve the entire island rather than making everyone drive to Hilo,” he added. “I think in the long run this is the right thing to be doing and (the most) realistic.”
UH requested a $2 million capital appropriation from the state Legislature which, if approved, would be used to begin the design and planning process.
Eventually, UH will develop a six-year capital improvement plan budget request that would require Board of Regents approval.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.