Hilo Intermediate School has received $1 million in state funds to begin the process of replacing its gym.
During a structural assessment of the school last year, crews found extensive termite damage in the gymnasium, said Principal Travis Toriano in an email, which prompted the school to proceed with a full demolition and eventual replacement of the building.
“(The assessment) last year found termite damage in trusses, perimeter beams and the gym floor,” Toriano wrote, adding that “student and staff safety will be the priority during work.”
A state budget bill last year allocated $1 million in state capital improvement project funds to finance the gym’s demolition, money that was finally awarded last month. However, Toriano wrote that a project timeline for when demolition might begin or end is still up in the air.
Toriano also added that construction plans and cost estimates for the replacement gym are still in development.
In the absence of a usable gym for the foreseeable future, Toriano said the school is investigating temporary alternatives.
“Our faculty and staff have shown remarkable flexibility and have done an exceptional job creating alternative safe and positive spaces for student activities,” Toriano wrote. “We are continuing to pursue short-term possibilities for a covered playcourt.”
Hilo Sen. Lorraine Inouye, who was instrumental in getting the funding awarded, praised the project in a statement and looked forward to an improved school in the future.
“Hilo Intermediate School has been in need of a new gym and this demolition project is a necessary first step,” Inouye said in the statement.“The impending removal of the existing gym sets the stage for a new era in educational facilities, ensuring that students have access to a space that meets contemporary standards for physical education and extracurricular activities.”