County to expand Kailua-Kona parking lot

Hawaii County is currently in the design phase of extending an existing parking lot in Kailua Village to add more free parking by 2026.

The expansion of the lot between Kuakini Highway and Likana Lane is expected to add 23 new free parking stalls, according to spokesman Tom Callis of the mayor’s office.

Following the design and bidding on the project, the county plans to begin construction “in the second or third quarter of 2026,” Callis said.

Callis said the the “Department of Public Works has declared that this project meets the requirements for exemption” from an environmental assessment, but that “an archaeological inventory survey was reviewed and approved by the State Historic Preservation Division.”

“Historic Kailua Village has lots of parking. Unfortunately, most of the available parking is in private lots, and there are now fees to park in those lots,” said Ross Wilson, executive director for the Kailua Village Business Improvement District. “Adding incremental parking stalls will alleviate the strain during peak hours.”